Abstract

To establish the dimensions of the masseter muscle deep as a facial index in relation to gender, an analytical study was conducted among patients who were attended at the imaging service Linares Hospital, Chile. The sample was 180 masseter muscles, 90 of them belonging to female individuals and 90 individuals belonging to male subjects. The subjects were classified according to facial index in euryprosopous, mesoprosopous and leptoprosopous. Each group was composed of 60 muscles. The depth of each masseter muscles was performing using an ultrasound-imaging test. The sample was subjected to ANOVA statistical analysis. The depth of masseter muscles varied depending facial index in both sexes (p <0.05). Euryprosopous individuals showed an average of 11.5±2.08 mm for male and 8.8±1.4 mm for female. Mesoprosopous individuals showed an average of 11.4±1.6 mm. for male and 7.8±1.6 mm for female. Leptoprosopous individuals showed an average of 10.08±1.2 mm for male and 7.7±1.4 mm. for female. The depth of the masseter muscle varies depending of facial index on both sexes. The difference is significant between muscles of leptoprosopous and euryprosopous subjects (p <0.005). It was concluded that the facial index of individuals should be considered in the diagnosis of altered masticatory muscle size.