Which hamstring muscle is most frequently injured in sprinting athletes?

• A Long head of biceps femoris ✓
• B Semimembranosus
• C Semitendinosus
• D Short head of biceps femoris

Explanation

The long head of biceps femoris is the most commonly strained hamstring because it crosses both hip and knee joints, undergoes the greatest stretch during terminal swing, and has the longest musculotendinous junction exposed to eccentric load. The short head of biceps femoris crosses only the knee and is rarely injured in isolation, which kills the closest distractor. Semitendinosus and semimembranosus strains occur but are less frequent than lateral hamstring tears.

Reference: DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, 5th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.