The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between masseter muscle thickness, facial morphology, and mandibular morphology in Korean adults using ultrasonography.

Ultrasonography was used to measure the masseter muscle thickness bilaterally of 40 adults (20 males, 20 females) and was performed in the relaxed and contracted states. Facial photos and panoramic radiography were used for morphological analyses and evaluated for correlations with masseter muscle thickness. We also evaluated the correlations of age, body weight, stature, and body constitution with masseter muscle thickness.

In the relaxing, the masseter was 9.8±1.3 mm in females and 11.3±1.2 mm in males. In the contracted state, it was 12.4±1.4 mm in females and 14.7±1.4 mm in males. Facial photography showed that bizygomatic facial width over facial height was correlated with masseter muscle thickness in both sexes in the relaxed state, and was statistically significantly correlated with masseter muscle thickness in males in the contracted state. In panoramic radiography, correlations were found between anterior angle length and posterior angle length and masseter muscle thickness in females, and between body length and posterior angle length, between anterior angle length and body length, between ramal length and body length, and between body length and condyle length in males.

Masseter muscle thickness was associated with facial and mandibular morphology in both sexes, and with age in males. Ultrasonography can be used effectively to measure masseter muscle thickness.