The authors examined 418 subjects of Asian descent for the presence or absence of a palmaris longus tendon. The tendon was absent unilaterally in 4% (17) of subjects and bilaterally in 2% (7) of subjects. After adjusting for age, gender, hand dominance, and occupation, there were no significant differences in the grip or pinch strength measurements between subjects with and without a palmaris longus tendon.
The authors concluded that absence of the palmaris longus tendon was not associated with decreased grip or pinch strength. However, they inferred caution in extrapolating their findings to palmaris longus tendon harvesting and transfer procedures, as congenital absence of the tendon does not necessarily equate with tendon loss from surgery.
Related Links
Journal of Hand Surgery