Dynamic responses in monkey cervical vertebrae during occlusal forces

Abstract

In order to investigate the dynamic response of the cervical vertebrae during occlusion, we electrically stimulated both masseter muscles of anesthetized adult monkeys, and measured the resulting strains in the lamina arcus vertebrae on both sides of each vertebrae when the monkeys were made to occlude on objects of 3, 7 or 10mm thickness at either the canine or first molar on one side. The cervical vertebrae were subjected to both compression and tension as a result of the occlusal forces. The strain wave form patterns observed resulting from distortion of the cervical vertebrae indicated that these vertebrae, according to their position and morphology, ingeniously dispersed the stresses arising from occlusion.