Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedics Afzalipour School of Medicine & Medical Informatics Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedics Afzalipour School of Medicine & Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology Afzalipour School of Medicine & Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
4 Resident, Department of Radiology, Afzalipour School of Medicine Students Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
5 Ph.D. Candidate, Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
6 Student of Medicine, Students Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Abstract
Background & Aims: Sonography has enjoyed much attention as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for carpal
tunnel syndrome in recent years. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of anatomic variations
of existence or absence of palmaris longus and fifth superficial flexor tendons on the sonographic
measurement of median nerve surface area in healthy individuals’ wrists.
Methods: 93 volunteers without any symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome underwent clinical
evaluation for determining presence of tendons in both wrists and also, sonographic measurement of median
nerve surface area.
Results: In 22 of 186 hands (11.82%), there was absence of the palmaris longus tendon and absence of the
fifth flexor was noted in 8 (4.30%). The median nerve surface area in the hands without palmaris longus was
meaningfully less than the hands with it (P = 0.025), while the difference in the median nerve surface area
was not statistically significant regarding the presence of the fifth flexor (P = 0.324).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it seems that the median nerve surface, area as a
sonographic finding, is probably related to presence or absence of the palmaris Longus tendon. So, those
hands with the tendon present have larger surface areas. Also, it seems that this sonographic finding is not
dependent on the presence of fifth superficial flexor tendon.
Keywords
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