PREVALENCE OF THE PALMARIS LONGUS AND ITS IMPACT ON GRIP STRENGTH

Abstract

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Background. Palmaris longus muscle is the muscle of the anterior compartment of the forearm. Its contraction helps the flexion of the wrist and thumb abduction. It is often used in reconstructive surgery of the hand, eyelids and lips. This is one of the most variable muscles in our body. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of the palmaris longus muscle and its effect on the grip strength in examinees. Material and Methods. The research was performed on 100 males and 100 females, average age of 19.46 years. Presence of the palmaris longus muscle was tested with standard and additional clinical tests, while the grip strength was tested with electronic manual dynamometer. Results and Discussion. Bilateral presence was found in 132 (66%) subjects. Unilateral absence was found in 32 (16%) subjects, while bilateral absence in 36 (18%) subjects. Bilateral absence was noted in 12% in females and 24% in males. Unilateral absence on the left side was observed in 11% of women and 10% of men, while unilateral absence on the right side was equal in both genders (8%). The average value of the grip strength on right side was 40.77±11.60 kg and 38.43±10.93 kg on left side. Conclusions. Compared to the unilateral, bilateral absence was more prevalent. Unilateral absence was significantly more present in the left forearm. In males, bilateral absence was statistically higher compared to the unilateral absence. Muscle absence in the left forearm was significantly more frequent compared to the right forearm. In females, there were no statistically significant differences between bilateral or unilateral absence. Bilateral absence was significantly more frequent in males. According to the results of this study grip strength of the hand was not affected in the case of palmaris longus absence in both genders.