Abstract
The Palmaris longus muscle can be absent unilateral or bilateral in about 22.4% of human beings. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the presence of the Palmaris longus muscle is associated with an advantage to handgrip in elite tennis players compared to recreational athletes. Sixty people participated in this study, thirty elite tennis players and thirty recreational athletes. The presence of the Palmaris longus muscle was first assessed using different tests. Grip strength and fatigue resistance were measured by an electronic hand dynamometer. Proprioception was registered by the Flock of Birds electromagnetic tracking system. Three tests were set up for measuring proprioception: joint position sense, kinesthesia, and joint motion sense. Several hand movements were conducted with the aim to correctly reposition the joint angle. Results demonstrate a higher presence of the Palmaris longus muscle in elite tennis players, but this was not significant. Maximal grip strength was correlated with gender and only on the dominant side; it was also correlated with age. Fatigue resistance showed only on the non-dominant side; a significant difference in elite and recreational athletes. In proprioception there was no correlation with elite and recreational athletes or the presence of the Palmaris longus muscle.
Highlights
The Palmaris longus muscle (PLM) is described as probably the most variable muscle in the human body
The distal tendon of the PLM shows a lateral slip that attaches to the superficial surface of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle that may contribute to thumb abduction [5]
The third finger of the right hand showed only in girls of 6–7 years old a significant correlation with the absence of the PLM, but no relation was found for the left hand. This muscle may impact the opposition movement of the fingers [13]. These findings suggest that the PLM may not be as redundant as current opinion indicates, we have to keep in mind that this study only included girls and boys with ages of 6–11 years old
Summary
The Palmaris longus muscle (PLM) is described as probably the most variable muscle in the human body. A great diversity is reported between different populations in the prevalence of absence of the PLM [3]. Stecco et al considers the PLM as a slender fusiform muscle with a short proximal belly and a long distal tendon (Figure 1). It is located in the most superficial layer of the anterior compartment of the forearm, between the radial and the ulnar flexors of the wrist [4]. The distal tendon of the PLM shows a lateral slip that attaches to the superficial surface of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle that may contribute to thumb abduction [5]. The origin of the PLM is at the epicondylus medialis of the humerus and the
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