Postural stability of the human mandible during locomotion

Movements of the head and of the mandible relative to the head were measured in human subjects walking and running on a treadmill at various speeds and inclinations. A miniature magnet and piezo-electric accelerometer assembly was mounted on the mandibular incisors, and a Hall-effect sensor along with a second accelerometer mounted on a maxillary incisor along a common vertical axis. Signals from these sensors provided continuous records of vertical head and mandible acceleration, and relative jaw position. Landing on the heel or on the toe in different forms of locomotion was followed by rapid deceleration of the downward movement of the head and slightly less rapid deceleration of the downward movement of the mandible, i.e., the mandible moved downwards relative to the maxilla, then upwards again to near its normal posture within 200 ms. No tooth contact occurred in any forms of gait at any inclination. The movement of the mandible relative to the maxilla depended on the nature and velocity of the locomotion and their effects on head deceleration. The least deceleration and hence mandibular displacement occurred during toe-landing, for example, during “uphill” running. The maximum displacement of the mandible relative to the head was less than 1 mm, even at the fastest running speed. The mechanisms that limit the vertical movements of the jaw within such a narrow range are not known, but are likely to include passive soft-tissue visco-elasticity and stretch reflexes in the jaw-closing muscles.