The QOL must be assessed at every stage of treatment for better adjustment of handicapped patients.

The role of Palmaris longus in human beings in hand function is not important and hence can be harvested as tendon graft without any donor site morbidity. Geographical variations in the prevalence of the absence of Palmaris longus tendon are well known. This study was undertaken to know the absence of Palmaris longus in Punjabi population. Material and methods: The study was done in six hundred medical students aged between 18 and 25 years of Adesh Institute of Medical Science and Reseach, Bathinda. Equal number of male and female students were examined for the presence or absence of the Palmaris Longus tendon using the standard Schaeffer's test. The absence of the palmaris longus was confirmed by three other tests to avoid any error. Result: In the present study Palmaris longus showed overall absence of 11.3% in Punjabi population .Overall absence of Palmaris longus in males and females was 17.3% and 9.3% respectively .Unilateral and bilateral absence was 6%and 2% respectively in males whereas 8% and 5.3% in females. Overall absence was 5.3% and 1.6% on left and right side respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of bilateral and unilateral absence was more common on left sided and in female subjects. This can help in planning surgeries as overall absence of Palmaris longus is Punjabi Population is less and is mostly unilateral.

No abstract