Hamstring - wikipedia Hamstring Hams Posterior view of left lower extremity. Details Origin tuberosity of the ischium, linea aspera Insertion tibia, fibula Artery inferior gluteal artery, profunda femoris artery Nerve sciatic nerve ( tibial nerve and common fibular nerve ) Actions flexion of knee, extension of hip Antagonist Rectus femoris muscle Dorlands / Elsevier h_02 / 12407578 Anatomical terms of muscle ( edit on Wikidata ) In human anatomy, a hamstring is one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee ( from medial to lateral : semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris ). In quadrupeds, the hamstring is the single large tendon found behind the knee or comparable area. Contents 1 Criteria 2 Structure 3 Function 4 Clinical significance 4.1 Imaging 4.2 Use in surgery 5 History 5.1 Etymology 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Criteria The common criteria of any hamstring muscles are : Muscles should originate from ischial tuberosity. Muscles should be inserted over the knee joint, in the tibia or in the fibula. Muscles will be innervated by the tibial branch of the sciatic nerve. Muscle will participate in flexion of the knee joint and extension of the hip joint. Those muscle which fulfills all of the four criteria are called true hamstrings. The adductor magnus reaches only up to the adductor tubercle of the femur, but it is included amongst the hamstrings because the tibial collateral ligament of the knee joint morphologically is the degenerated tendon of this muscle. The ligament is attached to medial epicondyle, two millimeters from the adductor tubercle. Structure The three muscles of the posterior thigh ( semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris long & short head ) flex ( bend ) the knee, while all but the short head of biceps femoris extend ( straighten ) the hip. The three ' true ' hamstrings cross both the hip and the knee joint and are therefore involved in knee flexion and hip extension. The short head of the biceps femoris crosses only one joint ( knee ) and is therefore not involved in hip extension. With its divergent origin and innervation it is sometimes excluded from the ' hamstring ' characterization. Muscle Origin Insertion Nerve semitendinosus ischial tuberosity medial surface of tibia tibial part of sciatic semimembranosus ischial tuberosity medial tibial condyle tibial part of sciatic biceps femoris - long head ischial tuberosity lateral side of the head of the fibula tibial part of sciatic biceps femoris - short head linea aspera and lateral supracondylar line of femur lateral side of the head of the fibula ( common tendon with the long head ) common peroneal A portion of the adductor magnus is sometimes considered a part of the hamstrings. Function The hamstrings cross and act upon two joints - the hip and the knee. Semitendinosus and semimembranosus extend the hip when the trunk 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 ) rotate 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. Clinical significance Imaging Tear of the hamstrings muscles at the ischial tuberosity seen on MRI ( coronal STIR ). The arrowheads indicate the tuber and the retracted tendon stump. Significant bleeding around and into the muscles. Imaging the hamstring muscles is usually performed with an ultrasound and / or MRI. The biceps femoris is most commonly injured, followed by semitendinosus. Semimembranosus injury is rare. Imaging is useful in differentiating the grade of strain, especially if the muscle is completely torn. In this setting, the level and degree of retraction can be determined, serving as a useful roadmap prior to any surgery. Those with a hamstring strain of greater than 60mm in length have a greater risk of recurrence. Use in surgery The distal semitendinosus 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. History Etymology The word `` ham '' is derived from the Old English ham or hom meaning the hollow or bend of the knee, from a Germanic base where it meant `` crooked ''. It gained the meaning of the leg of an animal around the 15th century. String refers to tendons, and thus, the hamstrings are the string - like tendons felt on either side of the back of the knee. See also This article uses anatomical terminology ; for an overview, see Anatomical terminology. Hamstringing Hamstring curl Lombard 's Paradox Popliteal fossa Pulled hamstring References Jump up ^ University of Glasgow : : Biomedical & Life Sciences : : Biomedical & Life Sciences Jump up ^ `` Biceps Femoris - Short Head -- Musculoskeletal Radiology -- UW Radiology ''. Rad.washington.edu. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 02. Jump up ^ Mayo Clinic Staff ( 3 Oct 2015 ). `` Hamstring injury ''. Mayo clinic. Retrieved 6 July 2016. ^ Jump up to : postthigh at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman ( Georgetown University ) Jump up ^ Koulouris G, Connell D ( 2003 ). `` Evaluation of the hamstring muscle complex following acute injury ''. Skeletal Radiol. 32 ( 10 ) : 582 -- 9. doi : 10.1007 / s00256 - 003 - 0674 - 5. PMID 12942206. Jump up ^ Schache AG, Koulouris G, Kofoed W, Morris HG, Pandy MG ( 2008 ). `` Rupture of the conjoint tendon at the proximal musculotendinous junction of the biceps femoris long head : a case report ''. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 16 ( 8 ) : 797 -- 802. doi : 10.1007 / s00167 - 008 - 0517 - y. PMID 18360748. Jump up ^ Koulouris G, Connell DA, Brukner P, Schneider - Kolsky M ( 2007 ). `` Magnetic resonance imaging parameters for assessing risk of recurrent hamstring injuries in elite athletes ''. Am J Sports Med. 35 ( 9 ) : 1500 -- 6. doi : 10.1177 / 0363546507301258. PMID 17426283. Jump up ^ Brown, Lesley, ed. ( 2007 ). Shorter Oxford English Dictionary II ( Sixth ed. ). Oxford : Oxford University press. p. 3611. Jump up ^ `` Online Etymology Dictionary ''. Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 02. External links MRI Images demonstrating avulsion fracture of the hamstring muscle origin Muscles of the hip and human leg Iliac region Iliopsoas psoas major / psoas minor iliacus Buttocks Gluteal muscles maximus medius minimus tensor fasciae latae lateral rotator group : quadratus femoris inferior gemellus superior gemellus internal obturator external obturator piriformis Thigh / compartments Anterior sartorius quadriceps rectus femoris vastus lateralis vastus intermedius vastus medialis articularis genus Posterior hamstring biceps femoris semitendinosus semimembranosus Medial pectineus external obturator gracilis adductor longus brevis magnus minimus Fascia Femoral sheath Femoral canal Femoral ring Adductor canal Adductor hiatus Muscular lacuna fascia lata Iliotibial tract Lateral intermuscular septum of thigh Medial intermuscular septum of thigh Cribriform fascia Leg / compartments Anterior tibialis anterior extensor hallucis longus extensor digitorum longus peroneus tertius Posterior superficial triceps surae gastrocnemius soleus accessory soleus Achilles tendon plantaris deep tarsal tunnel flexor hallucis longus flexor digitorum longus tibialis posterior popliteus Lateral peroneus muscles longus brevis Fascia Pes anserinus Intermuscular septa anterior posterior transverse Foot Dorsal extensor hallucis brevis extensor digitorum brevis Plantar 1st layer abductor hallucis flexor digitorum brevis abductor digiti minimi 2nd layer quadratus plantae lumbrical muscle 3rd layer flexor hallucis brevis adductor hallucis flexor digiti minimi brevis 4th layer dorsal interossei plantar interossei Fascia Plantar fascia retinacula Peroneal Inferior extensor Superior extensor Flexor Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hamstring&oldid=808337514 '' Categories : Hip extensors Knee flexors Muscles of the lower limb Posterior compartment of thigh Hidden categories : Medicine infobox template using GraySubject or GrayPage Medicine infobox template using Dorlands parameter Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা Български Català Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Latviešu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Português Suomi Svenska Tagalog 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 2 November 2017, at 07 : 50. 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Question: where is the hamstring located in your leg
Answer: between the hip and the knee