Electromyographic analysis of the effect of physical therapy on the masseter muscle in post-operative facial polytrauma

Abstract

In cases of accident, facial trauma has stood out and mandibular fractures comprise the highest rate of injuries treated by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Physiotherapeutic interventions have been added to postoperative rehabilitation, optimizing post-trauma muscle activity, aiding the recovery of masticatory, phonation, swallowing, and postural functions. Objective: the present study aimed to compare the longitudinal evolution of the electrical activity of the masseter muscle through electromyographic examination in a polytraumatized individual subjected to physical therapy and another individual with mandibular fracture without physical therapy. Subjects and method: the study analyzed a polytraumatized volunteer subjected to physical therapy treatment, a volunteer with mandibular fracture without physical therapy treatment, and three volunteers without fractures as control group. A first electromyographic data collection was performed in the first days after the discharge from the surgery department responsible for the treatment of fractures, and a second collection occurred 60 days later. In the individual subjected to physiotherapeutic treatment, a third collection was performed 90 days later. Results: the polytraumatized volunteer subjected to the physiotherapeutic treatment obtained, in 90 days, electrical activity of the masseter muscle similar to the control group. The volunteer with mandibular fracture not subjected to physical therapy presented results similar to the control group 60 days after hospital discharge. Final considerations: it is concluded that the physiotherapeutic intervention in polytraumatized patients is of great relevance, returning the physiological muscular condition of chewing, regarding the electrical activity, within a period of up to 90 days, also presenting advantages in the reduction of the function disharmonizing symptomatology.