Verificação da força de mordida e da atividade elétrica dos músculos masseteres durante a mastigação em laringectomizados totais

The aim of this study is to determine the values of bite force and the percentage of the electrical activity of masseters muscles in volunteers who underwent total laryngectomy. The sample consisted of fifteen laryngectomized males with a mean age of 64 years. Bite force was measured with the help of load cell, the acquisition of the electrical activity of the masseter was achieved by EMG during ordinary mastication. The correlation between bite force on the right and left electrical activity was equal to 0.207 (p = 0.459) and 0.362 (p = 0.185), respectively. Correlations between the values of electrical activity of masseters and bite force were not evident.