Hamstring
From Free net encyclopedia
Hamstring refers to the common tendon of the muscles making up the ham in animals, primarily the semitendinosus and biceps femoris. The function of these muscles is to extend the tarsal joint i.e. they are responsible for the rearleg push-off when the animals walk or leap.
The hamstrings include:
- semitendinosus - attaches distally to the medial tibial condyle.
- semimembranosus - also attaches to the medial tibial condyle.
- biceps femoris - It has a long and a short head, the short head's proximal attachment being the linea aspera of the femur. The long head attaches to the ischial tuberosity.
The hamstring is comprised of three muscles in the back of the leg, and is weaker than the quadriceps muscle. There are two sites that the hamstring attaches in the leg. These are located under the buttock and at the back of the knee.
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Functions
The hamstring serves two main purposes, the first being that it plays a crucial role in bending the knee. The second being that it moves the thigh back and forth and also gives movement in the trunk. The hamstring plays a crucial role in many daily activities, such as, walking, running, jumping, and controlling some movement in the trunk.
Injuries
There are many different types of injuries that can occur to the hamstring. The first of which is the strain, which is also known as a pulled hamstring. Straining of the hamstring is defined as an excessive stretch of muscle fibers and related tissues. Hamstring strain are classified as either first, second, or third degree, depending on how severe the strain is.
- A first degree is excessive or minor tearing of a few muscle fibers. There will be weakness and stiffness that occur, with some pain.
- The second degree strain of the hamstring is when there is moderate tearing of muscle fibers. The pain is more intense than that of a first degree strain. There is discoloration due to the bleeding underneath the skin (bruising).
- Third degree is the final stage and most intense, of hamstring strains. It includes a complete tear of the hamstring muscles. The tear can be felt with an individual’s hand. There is discoloration and intense pain. Third degree strains are a rare occurrence.
Hamstring strains occur in many different ways, but most often when the muscles are weakened. A hamstring strain most likely occurs during some athletic activity or some sort of exercise. If there is strain on the hamstring and the individual continues athletic activity or exercise on it, the hamstring continues to strain further and further. An example of this is when a basketball player will not sit out of a game to allow a hamstring strain to heal properly because he is afraid his team will miss him. By doing this he is more likely to injure it worse.
Treating a hamstring strain can differ depending upon the severity of the injury. For a first degree strain, ice and resting it with some elevation is the best way to treat it. For a second degree strain, ice, rest, and elevation are also necessary. However, a second degree strain will take around two to three weeks to heal. A third degree strain should be treated the same as first and second degree strains but may take longer to heal, around three to six weeks. Crutches may be necessary for a third degree strain. Waiting until completely healed before athletics or exercise is the best way to insure that an injury will not recur.
Another injury to the hamstring is the high hamstring tendinopathy. This condition consists of pain in the thigh or buttock. This injury is commonly seen in middle and long distance runners. The pain experienced with high hamstring tendinopathy is experienced when accelerating.
Although there are many ways a hamstring can be injured, it can be summed up by two words, strain or tear.
Not only does the hamstring help humans by running and flexing their knees, it helps in many other ways. One of those ways in which the hamstring helps is, arthroscopic surgery. With the new technology that is available in today’s society the hamstring is one of the most widely used assets in surgery. There is one major surgery that is becoming more popular that involves using the hamstring although it does not have to be injured to get use from it, in fact it has to be healthy. This surgery is called ACL reconstruction. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a ligament in the knee that helps hold the knee in place. During this procedure, doctors will take a sliver of the hamstring and put in the place of a torn ACL. The success rate of this surgery is very high because the hamstring is such a strong muscle and can have many different uses. When a hamstring is used to replace an ACL, it takes a few weeks to recover from the surgery. After the few weeks are up, it takes many months of physical therapy to insure that the hamstring is at full strength. This is done so that the hamstring can heal properly.
There are many ways that the hamstring can be strengthened. The main way is to exercise the hamstring. This can be done by running or lifting weights.
Most of the time people overlook the hamstring as being an important part of the body. It is just as important as walking, exercising, and staying in shape, because the hamstring must be healthy for all of the following to occur.
Additional
Some corrections: All of the hamstring muscles have a proximal attachment to the ischial tuberosity EXCEPT the short head of the biceps femoris (attaches to the linea aspera and lateral supracondylar line of femur)
Their distal attachments vary significantly: Semitendinosis: medial surface of sup. part of tibia Semimembranous: post. part of medial condyle of tibia Biceps femoris: lateral side of fibular head; tendon split by fibular collateral ligament of knee
Hamstringing
Hamstring can also be used as a verb. In general it refers to hampering or crippling any effort, eg. a person may be hamstrung in his studies by not being too bright. The origin of hamstring as a verb is probably the crippling of an animal by cutting the hamstring tendon, thereby making it incapable of using its rear legs, even for standing up, thus making it easier to kill.
