jsmc-10025

VARIATION IN THE PALMARIS LONGUS TENDON IN SULAIMANI POPULATION

Shilan Hussein Karim* and Ihsan Salim Al-Taee**

*  Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sulaimani.

** Al-Yarmuk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad.

Submitted: 6/3/2012; Accepted: 24/6/2012; Published 1/12/2012

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.17656/jsmc.10025 

ABSTRACT

Background  

Ethnic variations in the prevalence of the absence of the palmaris longus (PL) tendon are well known. However, most studies have been done in Caucasian populations. The present study was done to know the occurrence of absence of palmaris longus tendon in Sulamani population.

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of unilateral and bilateral absence of palmaris longus for the Sulaimani population of Kurdistan Region.

Subjects and Methods

The presence of the PL tendon was clinically determined in 300 (600 limbs) in normal male and female subjects bilaterally using the standard techniques. From the 300 subjects were; 150 male and 150 female, of (18-40) years old, 8 subjects were left hand dominant, i.e. 3%. In subjects with an absent PL tendon, three other tests were performed to confirm its absence.

Results

The 22 subjects (7.3%) were found to have bilateral absence of the palmaris longus tendon. From these 13 subjects were male (59%) and 9 subjects were female (40.9%). 33 subjects (11%) had unilateral absence of the tendon, of this 21 subjects absence of the right side (63.63%) and 12 subjects had absence in the left hand (36.36%). Of those with unilateral absence 20 were male (60.6%) and 13 were female subjects (39.3%).

Conclusion

Unilateral absence of PL percentage (11%) is more than the bilateral absence (7.3%) and both unilateral and bilateral absence is more in male compared to female. However this was not statistically significant. In those subjects with unilateral absence, the right side was found to be more commonly affected however no statistical significance was evident..

KEYWORDS

Palmaris longus (PL), Anatomical variation.

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