Application of a geometric principle for locating the mandibular hinge axis through the use of a double recording stylus

A color-enhanced aid for location of the transverse horizontal opening and closing axis of the mandible

This article describes the use of a device for assisting in identification of the direction of the arc of rotation while locating the transverse horizontal opening and closing axis of the mandible. Translucent disks are mounted on the point of the styli of a kinematic face-bow and centering magnets are aligned with them, with no overlapping of the colors. The direction of the arcing movement is enlarged by the overlapping of the translucent disk over the centering magnet. The different color value generated by the overlapping identifies the arcing direction. After correction on the microadjustable arm, the centering magnet is realigned on the translucent disk. This sequence is repeated until the disk no longer overlaps with the centering magnet during the opening and closing movements of the mandible. This device uses the different color generated by mixing the color of the disk against a template of darker color. The disk enlarges the point of the stylus, thus magnifies the direction of the arc of rotation, and potentially reduces the clinical time necessary to locate the points of pure rotation.

Condylar movement and mandibular rotation during jaw opening

Inaccurate description of mandibular rotation can have profound effects on orthognathic surgical treatment planning and surgical outcome, as well as affect the precision of appliances fabricated on articulators. Disagreement exists concerning movements of the condyle during jaw opening. Although mandibular function is often described as rotation around an instantaneous center located outside of the condyle, many believe that jaw opening occurs around an axis of rotation that remains fixed at the center of the condylar head. In this study, condylar movements and centers of mandibular rotation during jaw opening were examined in normal subjects with the Dolphin Sonic Digitizing System. All of the subjects demonstrated both translation and rotation of the condyle during initiation of jaw opening, and none had a center of mandibular rotation located at the condylar head. The findings support the theory of a constantly moving, instantaneous center of jaw rotation during opening that is different in every person. There were also differences in movement within the subjects between experimental trials. The uncertainty of predicting mandibular rotation for a given patient should be considered when planning surgical treatment and fabricating orthodontic appliances.