Reliable function-focused measurement of perioral musculature with the FaceFormer

Goal

Critical evaluation of statistical analyses of the reliability of function-focused measurements of the perioral musculature with the FaceFormer.

Materials and Methods

The FaceFormer is used to clinically measure the functional condition of the perioral musculature. With the help of a lip strength measurement device (Myo Bar Meter, ISST, Unna, Germany), the lip strength of 48 test persons was measured. Twenty-four test persons trained over a period of three times two weeks, while 24 test persons served as a control group. The measurement was carried out from beginning to end of the evaluation or trainings phase and in between every two weeks. All results were measured in mbar and calculated with the statistic program SPSS (version 10.5.2).

Results

The results of the test and control groups each showed three maximum measurement counts of 20, 45 and 70 mbar. The evaluation results with three experimental repeats were replicated with good effect. This was possible with one experimenter (k=0.81) or with three experimenters (k=0.76). The experimental group showed a noticeable trainings effect in comparison to the control group (p>0,001).

Conclusion

Results of the lip strength measurement using the FaceFormer were either significantly or very significantly reproducible. The first data of the trainability for the perioral musculature (experimental group, n=24) were near to each other, so that the Face Former when consequentially applied proved an effective, simple and cost efficient trainings device for myofunctional therapy.