MANDIBULAR

MOVEMENTS
By MAYANK
SHARMA

Under the
guidance of :

Dr.PUJA
MANDIBULAR MOVEMENTS
• Mandibular movements occurs as a complex series of interrelated 3
dimentional rotational and translational activities.It is determined
by combined and simultaneous activities of both
temporomandibular joint.
• Types of movement occur in temporomandibular joint:
I. Rotational movement
II. Translational movement
I.Rotational movement
• Dorland”s Illustrated Medical Dictionary defines rotation as“the
process of turning aroud an axis :movement of body about its axis”.
• In temporomandibular joint ,rotation occurs as movement within
inferior cavity of joint.Thus rotation is movement between superior
surface of condyle and inferior surface of articular disc.i.e,
meniscomandibular movement.
• Rotational movement of mandible occur in all three reference planes:
1. Horizontal
2. Frontal[or vertical]
3. Saggital.
• In each plane, it occurs around a point called axis
1.Horizontal Axis of Rotation
• The mandibular movement around
the horizontal axis is an opening and
closing motion.It is reffered to as
Hinge movement,the horizontal axis
around which it occurs is reffered to
as Hinge axis.
• TERMINAL HINGE AXIS
When condyles are in their most
superior position in articular fossa
and mouth is purely rotated
open,axis around which movement
occurs is called as Terminal hinge
axis.
2.Frontal{or vertical} Axis of Rotation

• It occurs when one condyle

moves anteriorly out of
terminal hinge position about
the vertical axis of opposite
condyle remaining in terminal
hinge position.
• This type of isolated movement
doesnot occur naturally.
3.Sagittal Axis of Rotation

• It occur when one condyle moves

inferiorly while other remains in
terminal hinge position.
• Because the ligaments and
musculature of temporomandibular
joint prevent the inferior
displacement of condyle,so this
type of isolated movement is not
possible naturally.
• It does occur in conjunction with
the other movements,when the
orbiting condyle moves downward
and forward across the articular
eminence.
II.Translational movement
• In the masticatory system,translation occurs when the
mandible moves forward, as in protrusion.The teeth,condyle
and rami all move in same direction and to same degree.
• Translation occurs within the superior cavity of joint,between
the superior surface of articular disc and inferior surface of
articular fossa.i.e, meniscotemporal movement.

• During most of the normal movements, both rotation and

translation occur simultaneously.
SINGLE PLANE BORDER MOVEMENTS
• BORDER MOVEMENTS :
Mandibular movement is limited by the ligaments and the
articular surfaces of temporomandibular joints, as well as
morphology and alignment of the teeth.when the mandible
moves through the outer range of motion,reproducible
describable limits result,which are called Border movements.
• Border movements and typical functional movements of the
mandible are described for each reference plane:
I. Sagittal plane border and functional movements
II. Horizontal plane border and functional movements
III.Frontal{or vertical }border and functional movents.
I. Sagittal Plane Border and Functional Movements

• Mandibular motion viewed in sagittal plane can be seen to

have four distinct movements:
1. Posterior opening border movements
2. Anterior opening border movements
3. Superior contact border
4. Functional movement
1.Posterior Opening Border Movements
• The range of posterior opening border movements is
determined or limited by the ligaments and the
morphology of temporomandibular joints.
• The posterior opening border movements in sagittal
plane occur in two stage hinging movements:
In first stage,the condyle are stablized in their most
superior position in articular fossa {i.e.,terminal hinge
position}.The most superior condylar position from
which a hinge axis movement can occur is centric
relation position.
• In this stage, mandible can be lowered {i.e.,mouth opening} in
pure rotational motion without translation of condyles.
• In centric relation, mandible can be rotated around horizontal
axis to a distance of only 20-25 mm without translation , as
measured between the incisal edges of the maxillary and
mandibular incisors.
• At this point of opening ,the TM ligaments tighten, after which
continued opening results in anterior and inferior translation of
condyles.
• In second stage of posterior
opening border movement, as
the condyle translate ,the axis
of rotation of mandible shifts
into bodies of rami.The exact
location of axis of rotation in
the rami is likely to be the
area of attachment of
sphenomandibular ligament.
• During this stage, when the
mandible is rotating around a
horizontal axis passing
through the rami,the
condyles are moving
anteriorly and inferiorly and
anterior portion of mandible
• Maximum opening is reached when the capsular ligament
prevent further movement at condyles.
• Maximum opening is in range of 40-60mm when measured
between the incisal edges of the maxillary and mandibular
teeth.
2.Anterior Opening Border Movement

• With the mandible maximally opened,closure accompanied

by contraction of inferior lateral pterygoids{which keep the
condyles positioned anteriorly}, which will generate the
anterior opening border movements.
• Anterior opening border movements are determined or
limited, primarily by ligaments and morphology of TMJs.
• Theortically, if condyles were stablised in this anterior position, a
pure hinge movement could occur while the mandible was closing
from the maximally opened to maximally protruded position.
• But actually ,the maximum protrusive position is determined in parts
by the stylomandibular liagaments, so when closure occurs,
tightening of ligaments produces a posterior movement of condyles.
• So condylar position is most anterior in maximally open but in not
the maximally protruded position.
Therefore it is not a pure hinge movement.
3.Superior Contact Border
Movement
• Superior contact border movements are determined by
the incisal and occlusal surface of the teeth.
• Its precise delineation depends on five factors:
• The amount of variation between CR and maximum
intercuspation.
• The steepness of cuspal inclines of the posterior teeth.
• The amount of vertical and horizontal overlap of anterior
teeth.
• The lingual morphology of the maxillary anterior teeth.
• The general interarch relationship of teeth.
• In the centric relation position , tooth contacts are normally
found on one or more opposing pairs of posterior teeth.
• The initial tooth contact in terminal hinge closure ,or
CR,occurs between the mesial inclines of maxillary teeth and
the distal inclines of mandibular teeth.
• If muscular force is applied to the mandibule ,a superoanterior
movement or shift will result until the intercuspal position is
reached.
• Additionally,this CR to maximum intercuspation slide may have
a lateral component.
• The slide from CR to intercuspal position is present in
approximately 90% of the population and the average distance
is 1.25+_1 mm.
• In the intercuspal position , the opposing anterior teeth usually
contact.
• When the mandible is protruded from the maximum
intercuspation , contact between the the incisal edges of
mandibular anterior teeth and the lingual inclines of the
maxillary anterior teeth results in anteroinferior movement of
the mandible.
• It continues until the maxillary and the mandibular anterior
teeth are in an edge to edge relationship.
• Horizontal movement of the mandible occurs while the
incisal edges of maxillary and manuldibular teeth pass
across each other.
• This horizontal movement continues until the incisal edges
of the mandibular teeth pass beyond the incisal edges of the
maxillary teeth.
• When incisal edges of the mandibular teeth pass beyond the
incisal edges of the maxillary teeth, the mandible move in
superior direction until the posterior teeth contact .
• Now the continued forward movement is determined by the
posterior tooth surface until the maximum protrusive
movement ,as established by ligaments, is reached.
• This maximum forward position joins the most superior point
of the anterior opening border movements.
• When a person has no discripancy between CR and maximum
intercuspation ,the initial description of the superior contact
border movement is altered.
• From CR there is no superior slide to intercuspal position.The
beginning protrusive movements immediately engages the
anterior teeh, and the mandible moves inferiorly, as detected by
the lingual anatomy of the maxillary anterior teeth.
4.Functional Movements in Sagittal
Plane
• Functional movements are not considered border
movements because these are not determined by the outer
range of motion .They are determined by the conditional
response of the neuromuscular system.
• They usually take place within the border movements and
therefore are considered free movements.
• CLINICAL REST POSITION or POSTURAL POSITION:
 When the mandible is at rest ,it is found to be located
approximately 2-4 mm below the intercuspal position.This
position is called as Clinical Rest Position.
It has also been determined that
this so called clinical rest position
is not the position at which
muscles have their lowest level of
activity.The muscles of
mastication are apparently at
their lowest level activity when
the mandible is positioned
approximately 8mm inferior and
3mm anterior to intercuspal
position.
At clinical rest position ,force of
gravity pulling the mandible down
is in equilibrium with the
elasticity and resistance to
Chewing Stroke in Sagittal Plane

• If the chewing stroke is examined in sagittal plane, the

movement will be seen to begin at the intercuspal position
and drop downward and slightly forward to the position of
desired opening.
• It then returns in a straighter pathway,slightly posterior to
opening movement.
Postural Effects on Functional movement

• It is described in reference to the final closing

stroke as related to the head position.
• Final closing stroke is related to the three positions
of head:
a) With the head is positioned erect and upright
b) With the head raised 45 degrees
c) With the head angled downward 30 degrees{i.e.,
alert feeding position}.
a).With the Head Positioned Erect and Upright

• When the head is positioned erect and upright, the

postural position of mandible is located 2-4 mm below
the intercuspal position.
• If elevator muscles contract, mandible will be elevated
directly into the intercuspal position.
b)With the Head Raised 45 Degrees

• If the face is directed

approximately 45 degrees
upward,the postural position of
mandible will be altered to a
slightly retruded position.
• If the elevator muscles contract
with the head in this position,the
path of closure will be slightly
posterior to the path of closure in
upright position.
• Therefore ,tooth contact will occur
posterior to the intercuspal
position.
c)With the Head Angled Downward 30Degrees

• The normal positon during eating is with

the face angled downward 30 degrees or
also referred to as alert feeding position.
• In this position, mandible shifts slightly
anterior to the upright postural position.
• If the elevator muscle contract with the
head in this position, the path of closure
will be slightly anterior to that in the
upright position.
• Therefore ,tooth contact will occur
anterior or to the maximum intercuspal
position.
II.Horizontal Plane Border And Functional Movements

• Gothic Arch Tracer:

 It has been traditionally used
to record mandibular
movement in horizontal plane.
 It consists of a recording plate
attachted to the maxillary
teeth and a recording stylus
attached to the mandibular
teeth.As the mandible moves,
stylus generate a line on the
recording plate that coincides
with this movement.
• When mandibular movements are
viewed in the horizontal plane , a
rhomboid shaped pattern can be
seen that has functional component
as well as four distinct movement
component:
1. Left laterl border
2. Continued left lateral border
movement with the protrusion
3. Right lateral border
4. Continued right lateral border
with protrusion.
1.Left Lateral Border Movement

• With the condyles in the centric

relation position ,contraction of
right inferior lateral pterygoid
will cause the right condyle to
move anteriorly and medialy.
• If left inferior lateral pterygoid
stays relaxed,left condyle will
remain situated in CR and result
will be lateral border
movement{i.e.,right condyle is
orbiting around the frontal axis
of the left condyle}.
• Therefore ,left condyle is called rotating condyle because the
mandible is rotating around it and also called as the working
condyle as it is on the working side and the right condyle is
called orbiting condyle because it is orbiting around the
rotating condyle.and also called as non working condyle or
balancing condyle as it is on non working side.

• During this movement the stylus will generate a line on the

recording plate that coincide with the left border movement.
2. Continued Left Lateral Border Movements with Protrusion

• With the mandible in left lateral

border position,contraction of left
inferior lateral pterygoid muscle
along with the continued
contraction of the right inferior
lateral pterygoid muscle will cause
left condyle to move anteriorly and
to the right.
• Now there will be shift in
mandibular midline back to
coincide with the midline of face.
3. Right Lateral Border Movements

• Now mandible is back to CR

position.
• Contracting left inferior
lateral pterygoid muscle will
cause the left condyle to
move anteriorly and
medially.
• If the right inferior lateral pterygoid muscle stays relaxed,
the right condyle will remain situated in CR position.
• Here,right condyle is called the rotating condyle and left
condyle is called the orbiting condyle as left condyle is
orbiting around the frontal axis of right condyle.
• During this movement stylus will generate a line on the
recording plate that coincides with the right lateral border
movement.
4. Continued Right Lateral Border Movements with Protrusion

• With the mandible in the right lateral

border position, contraction of the
right inferior lateral pterygoid
muscle along with the continued
contraction of the left inferior lateral
pterygoid will cause right condyle to
move the anterior and left.
• Because the left condyle is already in
maximum anterior position , the
movement of the right condyle to its
maximum anterior position will cause
a shift back in mandibular midline to
coincide with the midline of face.
• It completes the mandibular
movement in horizontal
plane.
• Lateral movements can be
generated by varying levels
of mandibular opening.The
border movement
generated with each
increasing degree of
opening will result in
increasingly smaller tracing
until,at maximally open
position ,little or no lateral
movements can be made.
Functional Movements in Horizontal plane

• As in the sagittal plane ,

functional movement in
horizontal plane most often
occur near intercuspal
position.
• During chewing the, jaw
movement begins some
distance from maximum
intercuspal position, as the
food is broken down into
smaller particle size, jaw
action moves closer and
closer to intercuspal position.
 Three basic eccentric movements are:

• Protrusive
• Latrotrusive
• Retrusive
Protrusive movements:
• A prorusive mandibular movement occur when the mandible moves
forward from the ICP.Any area of tooth that contacts an opposing
tooth during protrusive movement is considered to be protrusive
contact.
• In a normal occlusal relationship the predominant protrusive
contacts occur on the anterior teeth, between the incisal and labial
edges of the mandibular incisors and against the lingual fossa areas
and incisal edges of the maxillary incisors.These are considered the
guiding inclines of the anterior teeth.
• On the posterior teeth the protrusive movement Posterior protrusive
contacts occur between the distal inclines of maxillary lingual cusps
and the mesial inclines of opposing fossae and marginal ridge.
Latrotrusive movements

• If the mandibule moves laterally to the left,

There are two types of contact occur :
Latrotrusive contacts–these are contacts occur on the side to which the
mandible is shifted and occur on the two incline area i.e., the one contact is
between the inner inclines of the maxillary buccal cusps and outer inclines of
mandibular buccal cusps. The other contact is between the outer inclines of
maxillary lingual cusps and inner inclines of the mandibular lingual cusp.
These contacts are also known as working contacts as maximum function occur
on the side to which maxilla is shifted.
Mediotrusive contacts-these are the contacts occur on the side opposite to
which the mandible is shifted. The contact is between the inner inclines of
maxillary lingual cusps and the inner inclines of the mandibular buccal cusps.
These mediotrusive contacts are also known as nonworking contacts or
balancing contacts.
Retrusove movement

• A retrusive movement occur when the mandible moves

posteriorly from the ICP. During retrusive movement,the
mandibular buccal cusps move distally across the occlusal
surface of their opposing maxillary teeth.
• Area of the potential cantact occur between the distal
inclines of the mandibular buccal cusps and the mesial
inclines of the opposing fossae and marginal ridges.
III. Frontal (vertical) Border and Functional Movements

• When mandibular motion is viewed

in frontal plane, a shield-shaped
pattern can be seen that has a
functional component, as well as
four distinct movement
components:
1) Left lateral superior border
2) Left lateral opening border
3) Right lateral superior border
4) Right lateral opening border
movements
1.Left Lateral Superior Border Movements

• With the mandible in maximum

intercuspation , a lateral movement is
made to left.A recording device will
disclose an inferiorly concave path.
• The precise nature of this path is
primarily determined by morphology
and interarch relationships of
maxillary and mandibular teeth that
are in contact during this movement.
• Of secondary influence are the
condyle-disc-fossa relationship and
morphology of working and rotating
side.
2.Left Lateral Opening Border Movements

• From the maximum left

lateral superior border
position , an opening
movement of the mandible
produces a laterally convex
path.
• And there will be a shift
back in the mandibular
midline to coincide with
the midline of face.
3.Right Lateral Superior Border Movement

• Now, the mandible is

returned to maximum
intercuspation. From this
position a lateral
movement is made to right
that is similar to the left
lateral superior border
movement.
4.Right Lateral Opening Border Movements

• From the maximum right

lateral border position , an
opening movement of the
mandible produces a laterally
convex path similar to that of
left opening movement.
• There will be a shift back in
mandibular midline to
coincide with the midline of
face to end this left opening
movement.
Functional Movements in Frontal Plane

• As in other planes, functional

movements in frontal begin and end at
the intercuspal position.
• During chewing ,mandible drops
directly inferiorly until the desired
opening is achived.It then shifts to the
side on which the bolus is placed and
rises up.As it approaches maximum
intercuspation,bolus is broken down
between the opposing teeth.
• In final millimeter of closure
,mandible quickly shifts back to
intercuspal position.
ENVELOPE OF MOTION

• To understand this ,we take an example of right lateral

excrusion. Now,as the mandible move to right,left condyle
is moved out of its CR position and left condyle is orbiting
anteriorly around the frontal axis of the right condyle,now
left condyle encounters the posterior slope of the articular
eminence, which causes an inferior movement of the
condyle around the sagittal axis. Now the contact of the
anterior teeth produces a slightly greater inferior
movement in anterior part of the mandible than in
posterior part,which results in an opening movement
around the horizontal axis.
• By combining mandibular movements in the three
planes( i.e.,sagittal, horizontal, frontal), a three
dimentional envelope of motion can be produced that
represents the maximum range of movement of mandible.
• All this happens within envelope of motion and is
controlled by the neuromuscular system to avoid injury to
any of oral structure.
• Although the envelope has this characterstic shape as
shown, difference will be found from person to person.
• Superior surface of envelope is determined by tooth
contact whereas other borders are primarily determined
by ligaments and joint anatomy that restrict or limit
movement.
THANK YOU!!!!!