Agenesis of Palmaris Longus Muscle among Selected Ethiopian Students

Assegedech Bekele

doi:10.4172/2161-0940.1000136

Abstract

Background: Palmaris longus muscle has received a growing interest for its role in constructive surgery. Since the agenesis of Palmaris longus shows a strong racial variation, it is important to investigate its distribution on the Ethiopian students and compare the results with others. Methods: a cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in 712 subjects comprising of 504 males and 208 females to assess the distribution of Palmaris longus in the freshman students of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences ,University of Gondar, Ethiopia in 2010. Results: The overall prevalence of absence both unilaterally and bilaterally in the two sexes was 15.3%. The bilateral absence was 8.1%. Unilateral absence was 7.2%. The distribution of unilateral absence on the right and left were 3.5% and 3.7% respectively. In 9 subjects the tendon of Palmaris longus was found duplicated unilaterally. In other ten individuals an overlapping and laterally deviating tendon of Palmaris longus muscle towards the tendon of flexor carpiradialis muscle were observed. Conclusion: Results of this finding suggested that the prevalence of Palmaris longus agenesis is similar as reported in standard anatomy texts but considerably differ from findings obtained from studies that are conducted in other black African populations.

Highlights

BackgroundAnatomical variations are common and should be expected to encounter them during dissection, physical examination, diagnosis and treatment
Palmaris longus muscle (PLM) is a slender fusiform muscle, whose short muscle belly arises from the medial epicondyle of humerus with a common flexor origin and its long tendon passes palmar to the transverse carpal ligament and is attached to the palmar aponeurosis
It is innervated with a branch of median nerve and its function is to tense the palmar aponeurosis andto weakly flex the wrist joint synergized by flexor carpi radialis (FCR), flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscles [1]

Summary

Introduction

BackgroundAnatomical variations are common and should be expected to encounter them during dissection, physical examination, diagnosis and treatment. Palmaris longus muscle (PLM) is a slender fusiform muscle, whose short muscle belly arises from the medial epicondyle of humerus with a common flexor origin and its long tendon passes palmar to the transverse carpal ligament and is attached to the palmar aponeurosis. PLM tendon is located between the tendons of flexor carpiradialis (laterally) and flexor carpiulnaris (medially) at the distal middle ventral surface of forearm. It is innervated with a branch of median nerve and its function (when present) is to tense the palmar aponeurosis andto weakly flex the wrist joint synergized by flexor carpi radialis (FCR), flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscles [1]. Since the agenesis of Palmaris longus shows a strong racial variation, it is important to investigate its distribution on the Ethiopian students and compare the results with others

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Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion