Assessing the Accuracy of Common Clinical Tests for Detecting Palmaris Longus: A Prospective Study in a Tertiary Center

Abstract

Background Palmaris longus (PL) is a short-bellied muscle with a long tendon that merges with the palmar aponeurosis. It is supplied by the median nerve and acts as a tensor of the palmar aponeurosis and flexes the wrist. This tendon is commonly used for tendon transfers and as a donor for tendon graft. There are numerous clinical tests to detect the presence of PL like Schaeffer's test, Thompson's test, Mishra's test I, Mishra's test II, Pushpakumar's “two-finger sign” method, and AIIMS test. The principle of all these tests is to make the tendon prominent by eliciting its flexor action and then its identification by inspection and palpation.

Keywords

• palmaris longus
• Schaeffer's test
• AIIMS test
• Mishra's test
• Thompson's test
• Pushpakumar's “two-finger sign” method
• tendon transfer