Anatomy Of The Palmaris Longus Muscle - Everything You Need To Know - Dr. Nabil Ebraheim 

Dr. Ebraheim’s educational animated video describes the anatomy of the palmaris longus muscle.
Origin: common flexor muscle origin (medial epicondyle).
Indertion: palmaris longus is inserted into the transverse carpal ligament and the palmar aponeurosis.
Function: flexion of the hand at the wrist.
Innervation: median nerve.
The palmaris longus muscle partially covers the median nerve and inserts into the palmar fascia.
Occassionally the muscle belly of the palmaris longus extends into the wrist and it may compress the median nerve.
The palmaris longus muscle is absent in about 15%-25% of the population.
If the palmaris longus muscle is absent, it does not mean that the grip strength is less.
How do you know if the palmaris longus is absent?
The palmaris longus may be palpated by touching the pads of the fifth finger and the thumb while flexing the wrist.
Muscle testing may cause the flexor digitarum superficialis tendon to bulge into the subcutaneous area of the wrist and simulate the palmaris longus tendon.
The palmaris longus tendon is the most commonly used tendon graft for the hand.
- Palpate the tendon before surgery and determine the thickness of the tendon.
- If there is an indication that the PL tendon is small, advise and consent the patient for possible tendon graft from another area of the body.
Relationship between the median nerve and the palmaris longus, and the flexor carpi radialis:
- The palmaris longus is used as a guide for injection of the carpal tunnel or block of the medial nerve at the wrist.
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