This study attempted to analyze the distribution of stress, to examine the bending effect in the mandible according to the pulling directions and determine on which pulling directions are adequate when an orthopedic force was applied to the mandible. An orthopedic force, 500gm, was applied to the gnathion, one point of the chin area, in three directions. The three directions were; high pull, from gnathion to the center of condyle head, and vertical pull, from gnathion to a parallel line with the posterior border of the ramus, and medium pull, from the gnathion to a parallel line with the lower border of mandible. The distribution of principal stress, bending moment and amount of displacement within the mandible was analyzed by a 3-dimensional finite element method and that of the various portions of mandible were computed and compared according to the pulling directions. The results were as follows: 1. The bending moment of each part of a mandible has been found to be markedly larger in case of vertical pull than in case of either high pull or medium pull. In vertical pull the bending moment turned out to largest at the condyle head and neck portion, the gonial angle portion, the coronoid portion and the ascending ramus portion, respectively, while comparatively large at the cuspid and bicuspid portion and the first molar portion. In case of high pull it was largest at the gonial angle portion and becoming smaller at the coronoid portion, the ascending ramus portion, the condyle head and neck portion, and the cuspid and bicuspid portion, in that order. In case of medium pull, however, the bending moment was largest at the condyle head and neck portion, becoming smaller at the first molar portion, the ascending ramus portion, the coronoid portion, the cuspid and bicuspid portion, and gonial angle portion, in that order. 2. As for the bending effect it was calculated to be mostly oriented downward at the mandibular body and backward at the mandibular ramusin both high pull and vertical pull. In case of medium pull it was oriented upward at the mandibular body and forward at the mandibular ramus. 3. The bending effect also turned out to be mostly oriented outward in case of high pull and medium pull, and inward in vertical pull. 4. At the mandibular body and ramus, the bending effect in the upward-downward direction and that in the forward-backward direction were found to be larger than in the inward-outward direction. 5. If and when we expect any correcting effect on the mandibular protrusion by means of the chin cup appliance, we can say sure as conclusion that high pull and vertical pull are more effective than medium pull.
Bicuspid ; Chin ; Cuspid ; Finite Element Analysis* ; Head ; Humans* ; Mandible* ; Molar ; Neck ; Orthopedics*