According to the Cleveland Clinic, hamstring strain is among the most common and troublesome athletic injuries. A group of muscles on the posterior or back portion of your thighs form the hamstring. Hamstring muscles primarily function to bend and extend your legs. The Cleveland Clinic suggests that overstretching is a common cause of hamstring injuries and notes that failure to let a mildly strained hamstring heal properly can cause recurrent hamstring strain.
Biceps Femoris
According to Orthopedia website, the long-head of the biceps femoris originates from the posterior part of the ischium bone and from the lower part of the sacrotuberous ligament. The long head biceps femoris works with the short head biceps femoris for knee flexion movements. The Orthopedia online database indicates that the short head of the biceps femoris originates near your knees between the adductor magnus muscle and the vastus lateralis muscle on the posterior portion of the femur known as the linea aspera. The short head of the biceps femoris extends up from the linea aspera to the gluteus maximus muscle. Hip extension movements recruit the long head of the biceps femoris. Active insufficiency in the biceps femoris renders it a weaker knee flexor muscle when your hip is extended and weaker hip extender muscle when your knee is flexed. The oblique direction of the biceps femoris causes your knees to rotate slightly outward when you partially flex your knees.
Semitendinosus
The semitendinosus is one of the three posterior femoral muscles of your thighs. According to the University of Washington's Department of Radiology online database, semitendinosus muscle originates from the same tendon that the long head biceps femoris originates at, which is the posterior portion of the ischium bone known as the "ischial tuberosity." The semitendinosus is a fusiform muscle. Fusiform muscles are elongated muscles that are tapered at both ends in a spindle-like shape. This muscle allows you to extend your thighs and flex your knees. Movements that rotate your tibia recruit this muscle, especially when your knees are flexed.
Semimembranousus
The Sports Injury Clinic online database indicates that the semimembranousus is the most medial of the three hamstring muscles. According to the Orthopedia website, the semimembranousus muscle originates on the posterior portion of the ischium bone called the "ischial tuberosity." Movements that involve extending or straightening your hip joint and flexing or bending your knees recruit the semimembranousus muscle. This muscle also helps you perform medial or internal knee or tibia rotation movements, especially when your knee is flexed.
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