PurposeThis study aimed to examine the relationship between jaw opening force and hyoid bone dynamics and resting position in elderly individuals based on gender.Subjects and methodsSubjects were 36 healthy elderly individuals aged ≥65 years without dysphagia (16 men and 20 women; mean age 75.5 years, range 65–88 years). Videofluorographic images during the swallowing of 10 mL of 40% (w/v) barium sulfate were obtained and the degrees of anterior, superior, and hypotenuse displacements of the hyoid bone and maximum/resting hyoid position were evaluated. Jaw opening force was measured three times using a jaw opening force sthenometer; the mean of these three measurements was used for analysis.ResultsIn men, there was a positive correlation between jaw opening force and resting hyoid position and negative correlations among all the degrees of anterior, superior, and hypotenuse displacements of the hyoid bone. In women, there was no statistically significant correlation between jaw opening force and any of the measurement items. There was no statistically significant correlation between jaw opening force and maximum hyoid position in either men or women.ConclusionOur findings suggest that low jaw opening force leads to low resting hyoid position only in elderly men, and a lower hyoid position in healthy elderly men results in a larger total amount of hyoid displacement during swallowing. Moreover, a maximum hyoid position in healthy individuals of either gender does not differ depending on their jaw opening force.

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Head rotation is widely used as one of the postural techniques for dysphagic patients. However, it cannot be used for patients with severe limitations to the range of motion of the neck. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of applying pressure to the cricoid while swallowing and to explore the possibility of this maneuver as an alternative to head rotation. The swallowing function of 12 volunteers was examined with videofluorography under nine conditions: neutral, head rotated to the right, head rotated to the left, applying pressure to the cricoid on the right side at 5, 10, and 15 N, and applying pressure to the cricoid on the left side at 5, 10, and 15 N. To examine the effect of this maneuver on pharyngeal swallowing, the laterality of bolus flow was evaluated using 3 ml barium thin liquid from the posterior-anterior (P-A) view. The "pressing-cricoid" maneuver significantly altered the laterality of the bolus flow; the bolus flow was shifted to the side opposite to which the pressure was applied. The results of these changes were similar to those achieved with head rotation. These results demonstrated that the "pressing-cricoid" maneuver changes the bolus flow. This maneuver may have therapeutic value for the treatment of dysphagic patients as an alternative to head rotation.

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