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Prevalence, variants, and morphometrics of Palmaris Longus tendon: a magnetic resonance imaging study

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Abstract

Purpose

The palmaris longus (PL) tendon present a high degree of variations; the commonest is its absence which could reach more than 40% in some populations. The PL tendon is highly relevant in hand reconstructive surgery; however, MRI variations of PL tendon have been exceptionally reported. To this, this study investigated PL tendon variations using MRI in a Lebanese population.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of distal forearm MRI examinations to evaluate the presence, anatomical variations and morphometric of PL tendon. The outcomes were set as overall frequency, gender-based and side-base frequencies, correlations between prevalence and gender/side, morphological variants, thickness, and width of PL tendon.

Results

The sample comprised 335 patients including a total of 339 MRI scans. The PL was present in 221 wrists (65.2%), and bilaterally in only one (25%) out of the 4 bilateral cases. All PL were located using the Axial T1 views. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed no correlation with side, gender, or Tesla power. The only morphological variation was a reversed PL in 2 cases (0.6%). The mean width was 4.24 ± 1.2 mm. The mean thickness was 2.75 ± 0.6 mm.

Conclusion

As far as we know, this is the first study to report the total array of variations of PL tendon using MRI, and its prevalence in a Lebanese population. The mean width of PL tendon calculated with high quality MR imaging was found to be similar to that reported by cadaveric studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, School of Medicine, Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Raghid Kikano & Charlotte Charbel

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Chahine Assi & Kaissar Yammine

  3. Center for Evidence-Based Anatomy, Sport and Orthopedics Research, Beirut, Lebanon

    Chahine Assi & Kaissar Yammine

Authors
  1. Raghid Kikano
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  2. Charlotte Charbel
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  3. Chahine Assi
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  4. Kaissar Yammine
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Contributions

KY: project development, data analysis, manuscript writing. RK: data collection, manuscript writing. CC: data collection, manuscript writing. CA: review and analysis of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kaissar Yammine.

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Kikano, R., Charbel, C., Assi, C. et al. Prevalence, variants, and morphometrics of Palmaris Longus tendon: a magnetic resonance imaging study. Surg Radiol Anat 43, 749–753 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-020-02608-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-020-02608-2

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