Abstract
The hamstring muscles were analyzed anatomically and physiologically to clarify the
specific reasons for the incidence of muscle strain of the hamstrings. For the anatomical
study, hamstring muscles of 13 embalmed cadavers were dissected. For the physiological
study, the knee flexor torque and surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were measured
during isometric contraction of hamstring muscles in 10 healthy adults. The biceps
femoris muscle long head (BF-L) and semimembranosus muscle (SM) had hemi-pennate architecture
and their fiber length per total muscle length (FL/TML) was smaller than that of semtendinosus
muscle (ST) and biceps femoris muscle short head (BF-S) with other architecture. The
decrease of total muscle length per fiber length (ΔTML/FL) was larger in BF-L and
SM than in ST and BF-S. The EMG activities at 0° of knee angle were at maximal compared
with other knee angles and were of similar level in BF-L, in SM and in ST, whereas
they were considerably smaller in BF-S. The EMG at 0° of knee angle activity per physiological
cross-sectional area (PCSA) was about 1.6 times greater in BF-L than in SM. These
results indicate the highest risk of muscle strain was in BF-L followed by SM.
Key words
biceps femoris muscle long head - electromyographic (EMG) activity - hamstring muscles
- muscle strain
