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 knee
semimembranosusSemimembranosus - view from the back of the knee
biceps 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.

Synonyms: 
Hamstrings
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Dr Sheila Strover (Editor)
BSc (Hons), MB BCh, MBA

See biography...