Estimation of the Length of Palmaris Longus Tendon from the Length of Forearm - A Study on Indian Population

Introduction: Palmaris longus tendon is commonly used for tendon transfer and reconstruction surgeries.It is the commonly preferred tendon for graft purposes.Prior knowledge of its approximate length helps the surgeon in proper pre-operative planning for the tendon harvest.There is paucity of the data on the morphometry of palmaris longus tendon in Indian population.Aim: This study was conducted to measure the length and width of palmaris longus tendon, and to find out if they can be correlated with the length of the forearm.Materials and methods: The study was carried out in 70 upper limbs, belonging to 26 male and 9 female cadavers.The length of the forearm and tendon were measured using a measuring tape.The width of tendon was measured using vernier calipers.Results: The mean length of the tendon was 162.1915.48mm in the males and 165.6713.34mm in the females and had statistical significance with the length of the forearms in both males and females (P<0.001)The mean width of the tendon was 3.220.77mm in the males and 3.10.48mm in the females.There was no significant correlation between tendon width and forearm length in both the males and the females (p>0.05).Conclusion: It is possible for the surgeon to estimate the length of the tendon available for grafting purpose.This helps to decide the proximal skin incision while harvesting the tendon.