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The impact of playing wind musical instruments on the masseter muscles in a West African population

Aim: The morphological dimension of the masseter muscle is largely influenced by physical and habitual activities, which may impact directly on its performance. This study assessed the effects of playing wind musical instruments on the masseter muscle thickness in a male Nigerian adult population. Materials and Methods: Equal numbers of male wind instrument players (WIP) were recruited and compared with nonwind instrument players (non-WIP) of the same age. Information on the sociodemographic characteristics, history, and type of wind instrument played was obtained. The masseter muscle thickness and fractional shortening were determined during relaxation and contraction using a linear probe of 7.5 MHz on ultrasound machine (Biosound Esaote MyLab40 Ultrasound machine; 2012; Italy, Rome). Reliability test demonstrated an excellent intrarater correlation (Cronbach's alpha; 0.98). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The overall mean thickness of the masseter muscle at relaxation, contraction, and fractional shortening in WIP group was 9.21 ± 1.43 mm, 14.22 ± 1.95 mm, and 35.06% ± 5.07%, respectively, while 8.92 ± 1.12 mm, 13.97 ± 1.44 mm, and 36.08% ± 4.48%, respectively, in non-WIP group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups (P > 0.05). Type of instrument played, duration, and frequency of play did not significantly affect the muscle thickness except for the number of years of play. There was also a significant right/left side dichotomy in each group. Conclusions: Playing a wind instrument showed no significant effect on the thickness of the masseter muscle, however there was a significant increase in the muscle thickness with increasing years of play of wind instruments.