Hamstring

Written by Dr Sheila Strover on March 14, 2025

A hamstring is one of three muscles at the back of the thigh - semitendinosus, semimembranosus or biceps femoris - which work to bend the knee.

semitendinosusSemitendinosus - view from the back of the kneesemimembranosusSemimembranosus - view from the back of the kneebiceps femoris component of the hamstrings musclesBiceps femoris - view from the back of the knee

The hamstring used in graft construction

The tendon of semitendinosus is commonly harvested and used in hamstrings grafts for cruciate ligament reconstruction.