The incidence of missing palmaris longus tendon and its effect on grip and first pinch strengths
Kadir Ertem1, İrfan Esenkaya1, Nurzat Elmalı1, Saim Yoloğlu2
1İnönü Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dalı, Malatya
2İnönü Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Biyoistatistik Anabilim Dalı, Malatya
Keywords: Congenital abnormalities; forearm; muscle, skeletal/abnormalities; tendons/abnormalities; wrist.
Abstract
Objectives: In this study, we investigated the incidence of missing palmaris longus (PL) tendon and its effect on grip and pinch strengths.
Patients and methods: The presence of the PL tendon was investigated in 365 healthy male students (mean age 23 years; range 19 to 33 years) of Police College in Malatya. The grip and pinch strengths of each participant were measured using a Jamar dynamometer and pinch gauge, respectively, according to the recommendations of the American Society of Hand Therapists.
Results: The PL tendon was absent in 124 participants (34%). Of these, 82 individuals (22.5%) had bilateral involvement. The tendon was missing in the right hand in 103 cases (28.2%), and in the left hand in 103 cases. Unilateral absence was found in 42 cases (11.5%). Grip and pinch strengths of the hands having the PL tendon were greater than those in which the PL tendon was missing, but this did not reach significance (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The incidence of missing PL tendon was higher than reported in previous studies. The use of this tendon in reconstructive hand surgery will not result in significant decreases in grip and pinch strengths of the hands.