A Cadaveric Study On the Incidence and Association of the Absence of the Palmaris Longus Muscle and Flexor Digitorum Superficialis Tendon to The Little Finger

Background: The palmaris longus (PL), a superficial forearm muscle, is frequently absent in humans due to its anatomical diversity. In reconstructive procedures, it is frequently utilized as a donor tendon. There is also variation in the Flexor Digitorum Superficialis (FDS) tendon to the little finger, which ranges from total absence to functional weakening. This has clinical implications in hand function, grip strength, and surgical planning. It is crucial for surgeons (tendon graft planning), anatomists (variation studies), and clinicians (functional assessment) to comprehend the co-existence or correlation between the lack of a palmaris longus and a flexor digitorum superficialis to the little finger. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of regional statistics, particularly for the cadaveric studies. The aim is to determine the frequency of absence of the Flexor Digitorum Superficialis tendon to the little finger and the Palmaris Longus muscle, as well as to evaluate any correlation between the two. Material and Methods: Palmaris longus was absent in nine forearms and the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon to the little finger on the left side of one hand in a male cadaver, according to observational research conducted on 42 cadavers during normal dissection for undergraduate students. Results: Palmaris longus was found in 75 forearms (89.3%) and absent in 9 forearms (10.7%). Conclusion: Understanding these differences would be crucial when performing surgery to correct tendon cuts.

Keywords: Absent Palmaris longus, flexor digitorum superficialis tendon to the little finger, Tendon transfer.