Based on mechanical axiographic examinations of 117 test persons with normal masticatory functions, the reproducibility of the recordings was assessed at 0.2 mm +/- 0.14 mm with maximum deviations of about 0.8 mm. The reproducibility of the protrusion tracings was 7 degrees +/- 7 degrees at 1 mm of protrusion (maximum: 37 degrees) and 2 degrees +/- 2 degrees at 5 mm of protrusion (maximum: 11 degrees). The diagnostic assessment of the positions of the mandible is complicated by the fact that asymmetrical deviations on the right and left may result in errors in the interpretation of distances and directions of deviation.