Palmaris longus is absent in 14% of individuals. It has the longest tendon of any forearm muscle relative to its muscle belly. Its tendon is the most commonly harvested graft in hand surgery.
| Origin | Medial epicondyle — common flexor origin |
|---|---|
| Insertion | Palmar aponeurosis via the flexor retinaculum |
| Nerve Supply | Median nerve (C7, C8) |
| Blood Supply | Ulnar artery |
| Actions | Tenses the palmar fascia; Weakly flexes the wrist |
|---|
The palmaris longus tendon is the first choice for tendon graft in flexor tendon reconstruction, Achilles reconstruction augmentation, and many other procedures — its harvest causes no functional deficit. Its absence (15%) is confirmed by the Schaeffer test (opposition of thumb and little finger with wrist flexed produces a visible tendon in PL-positive individuals).
Visible and palpable in the volar forearm midline with wrist flexion and thumb-little finger opposition.
PL tendon harvested as a free tendon graft for flexor tendon reconstruction, UCL repair, or facial reanimation with no functional loss at the donor site.
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