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Information about Hamstring

Back of left lower extremity.
Interior muscular view of the three muscles that make up the hamstring
Origin:tuberosity of the ischium, linea aspera
Insertion:tibia, fibula
Artery:inferior gluteal artery, profunda femoris artery
Nerve:sciatic nerve, tibial nerve[1]
Action:flexion of knee
Antagonist:Rectus femoris muscle
Dorlands/Elsevier h_02/12407578
In human anatomy, a hamstring refers to one of the tendons that makes up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the tendons of the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris. In quadrupeds, it refers to the single large tendon found behind the knee or comparable area.

As shown in the diagram, the human hamstring occupies the posterior of the body of the femur.

Etymology

The word ham originally referred to the fat and muscle behind the knee. String refers to tendons, and thus, the hamstrings are the string-like tendons felt on either side of the back of the knee.

The four muscles of the posterior thigh flex (bend) the knee, while three of the four extend (straighten) the hip. The short head of the biceps femoris, with its divergent origin and innervation, is not involved in hip extension, and thus is sometimes excluded from the 'hamstring' characterization.

MuscleOriginInsertionNerve
semitendinosusischial tuberositymedial surface of tibiatibial
semimembranosusischial tuberositymedial tibial condyletibial
biceps femoris - long headischial tuberositylateral side of the head of the fibulatibial
biceps femoris - short headlinea aspera near the head of the femurlateral tibial condyle (common tendon with the long head)common fibular

Functions

The hamstrings cross and act upon two joints - the hip and the knee.

Semitendinosus and semimembranosus extend the hip when the trunk is fixed or extend the trunk when the hip is fixed; they also flex the knee and medially (inwardly) rotate the lower leg when the knee is bent.

The long head of the biceps femoris extends the hip as when beginning to walk; both short and long heads flex the knee and laterally (outwardly) rotates the lower leg when the knee is bent.

The hamstrings play a crucial role in many daily activities, such as, walking, running, jumping, and controlling some movement in the trunk. In walking, they are most important as an antagonist to the quadriceps in the deceleration of knee extension.

Injuries

Straining of the hamstring, also known as a pulled hamstring, is defined as an excessive stretch or tear of muscle fibers and related tissues.

Grade I

With a grade one hamstring strain the signs may not be present until after the activity is over. There may be a sensation of cramp or tightness and a slight feeling of pain when the muscles are stretched or contracted. It also may be referred to as a "pulled hammy".

Grade II

With a grade two hamstring strain there is immediate pain which is more severe than the pain of a grade one injury. It is confirmed by pain on stretch and contraction of the muscle. A grade two hamstring strain is usually sore to touch.

Grade III

A grade three hamstring strain is a catastrophic injury. There is an immediate burning or stabbing pain and the athlete is unable to walk without pain. The muscle is completely torn and there may be a large lump of muscle tissue above a depression where the tear is. After a few days with grade two and three injuries a large bruise may appear below the injury site caused by the bleeding within the tissues.

Treatment

The immediate treatment of any muscle injury consists of the RICE protocol - rest, ice,compression, and elevation (never apply ice directly to the skin). This is aimed at reducing the bleeding and damage within the muscle tissue. Resting may be the common sense approach, but it is one that is often ignored by competitive athletes. This is unwise, since it does not take much to turn a grade one strain into a grade two, or a grade two strain into a grade three. As a general rule, grade one hamstring strains should be rested from sporting activity for about 3 weeks and grade two injuries for about 4 to 6 weeks. In the case of a complete rupture, the muscle will have to be repaired surgically and the rehabilitation afterwards will take about 3 months.

Regardless of the level of the injury the treatment in the first five days is the same. The hamstring should be rested in an elevated position with an ice pack applied for twenty minutes every two hours, if practical (never apply ice directly to the skin). A compression bandage should be applied to limit bleeding and swelling in the tissues. After the first five days have been spent resting, more active rehabilitation can be started.

Use in surgery

The distal semitendinosis tendon is one of the tendons that can be used in the surgical procedure ACL reconstruction. In this procedure, a piece of it is used to replace the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL is one of the four major ligaments in the knee.

See also

References

1. ^ [1]

External links

 •  • [ e]
Muscles of lower limbs
ILIAC REGION/ILIOPSOASpsoas major - psoas minor - iliacus
BUTTOCKSgluteals: (maximus, medius, minimus) - tensor fasciae latae
lateral rotator group: piriformis - obturator externus - obturator internus - inferior gemellus - superior gemellus - quadratus femoris
THIGHanterior compartment: sartorius - quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis) - articularis genu
medial compartment/adductor: gracilis - pectineus - adductor brevis - adductor longus - adductor magnus
posterior compartment/hamstring: biceps femoris - semitendinosus, semimembranosus
LEGanterior compartment: tibialis anterior - extensor hallucis longus - extensor digitorum longus - fibularis tertius
posterior compartment: superficial - calf/triceps surae (gastrocnemius, soleus) - plantaris deep - popliteus - tarsal tunnel (flexor hallucis longus - flexor digitorum longus - tibialis posterior)
lateral compartment: fibularis muscles (longus - brevis)
FOOTdorsal - extensor digitorum brevis - extensor hallucis brevis
plantar first layer - abductor hallucis - flexor digitorum brevis - abductor digiti minimi
plantar second layer - quadratus plantae - lumbrical muscle
plantar third layer - flexor hallucis brevis - adductor hallucis - flexor digiti minimi brevis
plantar fourth layer - dorsal interossei - plantar interossei
bold refer to the diagram at right.)

In the skull (8):
  • 1-9. cranium
  • 7. mandible
''In the middle ears (6):
  • malleus
  • incus
  • stapes
In the throat (1):
  • hyoid
In the shoulder girdle (4):
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tuberosity of the ischium (or ischial tuberosity).

It marks the lateral boundary of the pelvic outlet.

When sitting, the weight is frequently placed upon the ischial tuberosity.
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The linea aspera is a ridge of roughened surface on the posterior aspect of the femur, to which are attached muscles and intermuscular septa.

Its margins diverge above and below.
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bold refer to the diagram at right.)

In the skull (8):
  • 1-9. cranium
  • 7. mandible
''In the middle ears (6):
  • malleus
  • incus
  • stapes
In the throat (1):
  • hyoid
In the shoulder girdle (4):
..... Click the link for more information.
tibia is the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates.

In humans

The tibia or shin bone, in human anatomy, is found medial (towards the middle) and anterior (towards the front) to the other such bone, the fibula.
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For other uses see fibula (disambiguation)


The fibula or calf bone is a bone located on the lateral side of the tibia, with which it is connected above and below.
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Arteries are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.[1] All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood.

The circulatory system is extremely important for sustaining life.
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The inferior gluteal artery (sciatic artery), the larger of the two terminal branches of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery, is distributed chiefly to the buttock and back of the thigh.
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The profunda femoris artery (also known as the deep femoral artery, or the deep artery of the thigh) is a branch of the femoral artery that, as its name suggests, travels more deeply (posteriorly) than the rest of the femoral artery.
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  • Accessory nerve
  • Accessory obturator nerve
  • Alderman's nerve
  • Anococcygeal nerve
  • Ansa cervicalis
  • Anterior interosseous nerve
  • Anterior superior alveolar nerve
  • Aortic plexus
  • Auerbach's plexus
  • Auriculotemporal nerve
  • Axillary nerve

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The sciatic nerve (also known as the ischiatic nerve) is a large nerve that starts in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb. It is the longest single nerve in the body.
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The tibial nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve. The tibial nerve passes through the popliteal fossa to pass below the arch of soleus.

In the popliteal fossa the nerve gives off branches to gastrocnemius, popliteus, soleus and plantaris, and the sural nerve.
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Kinesiology is the scientific study of the anatomy, physiology, and mechanics of body movement, especially in humans. [1] The word kinesiology is derived the Greek "kinesis" (motion) + the suffix -ology or -logy from the greek "logos" or "logia"(meaning a field of study).
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flexion is a position that is made possible by the joint angle decreasing. The skeletal (bones, cartilage, and ligaments) and muscular (muscles and tendons) systems work together to move the joint into a "flexed" position.
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In human anatomy, the knee is the lower extremity joint connecting the femur and the tibia. Since in humans the knee supports nearly the entire weight of the body, it is the joint most vulnerable both to acute injury and to the development of osteoarthritis.
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An antagonist is a kind of muscle that acts in opposition to the movement generated by the agonist and is responsible for returning a limb to its initial position.

Antagonistic pairs in houses

These antagonistic muscles are found in pairs called antagonistic pairs.
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The Rectus femoris muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles of the human body. (The others are the vastus medialis, the vastus intermedius (deep to the rectus femoris), and the vastus lateralis.
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body.[1] It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy.[1]
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A tendon (or sinew) is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone and is built to withstand tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments except that ligaments join one bone to another.
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The semitendinosus is a muscle in the back of the thigh; it is one of the hamstrings.

Structure

The semitendinosus, remarkable for the great length of its tendon of insertion, is situated at the posterior and medial aspect of the thigh.
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The semimembranosus is a muscle in the back of the thigh. It is the most medial of the three hamstring muscles.

Structure

The semimembranosus, so called from its membranous tendon of origin, is situated at the back and medial side of the thigh.
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The biceps femoris is a muscle of the posterior thigh. As its name implies, it has two parts, one of which (the long head) forms part of the hamstrings muscle group.

Origin and insertion

It has two heads of origin;
  • one, the long head

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The femur or thigh bone is the longest, most voluminous, and strongest bone of mammalian bodies. It forms part of the hip and part of the knee.

The word femur is Latin for thigh.
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In human anatomy, the knee is the lower extremity joint connecting the femur and the tibia. Since in humans the knee supports nearly the entire weight of the body, it is the joint most vulnerable both to acute injury and to the development of osteoarthritis.
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In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and buttocks and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.

The single bone in the thigh is called the femur.
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The semitendinosus is a muscle in the back of the thigh; it is one of the hamstrings.

Structure

The semitendinosus, remarkable for the great length of its tendon of insertion, is situated at the posterior and medial aspect of the thigh.
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tuberosity of the ischium (or ischial tuberosity).

It marks the lateral boundary of the pelvic outlet.

When sitting, the weight is frequently placed upon the ischial tuberosity.
..... Click the link for more information.
tibia is the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates.

In humans

The tibia or shin bone, in human anatomy, is found medial (towards the middle) and anterior (towards the front) to the other such bone, the fibula.
..... Click the link for more information.
The tibial nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve. The tibial nerve passes through the popliteal fossa to pass below the arch of soleus.

In the popliteal fossa the nerve gives off branches to gastrocnemius, popliteus, soleus and plantaris, and the sural nerve.
..... Click the link for more information.


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