Avaliação da atividade eletromiográfica dos músculos mastigatórios em adultos com mordida cruzada posterior : uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

Introduction: There is evidence that patients with posterior crossbite (PCB) have abnormal function of masticatory muscles. Although balanced and symmetrical muscle activity is considered essential for good masticatory function, the relationship between these alterations in patients with PCB is still unclear. Objective: To perform a systematic review on the use of surface electromyography (sEMG) in the evaluation of the masticatory muscles in adult patients with PCB, through two articles: a narrative review (article 1) and a systematic review (article 2). Materials and Methods: Specific strategies were adopted for each of the reviews. In article 1, only one electronic database was searched (Pubmed), while in article 2, there were seven (Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SciELO, LILACS and Scopus). Article 2 included a critical assessment of the risk of bias and methodological quality of the selected studies. Two assessment tools were used for this. No restrictions were applied in relation to language and year of publication. Results: The reviewed studies in the article 2 were classified as medium to low methodological quality and moderate to high risk of bias. Based on available evidence, adult patients with PCB present electromyografic alterations in masticatory muscles, when compared with individuals without PCB. Moreover, adult patients with unilateral posterior crossbite (UPCB) present asymmetrical muscle activities when the crossbite side is compared to the noncrossbite side. Conclusion: Despite the absence of studies with high methodological quality, the electromyographic assessment of masticatory muscles must be taken into account in the diagnosis and orthodontic treatment plan of patients with PCB. Prospective studies, with larger sample size and follow-up time, should be conducted based on rigorous scientific methodology.