Summary
Injuries to the hamstring muscles can be devastating to the athlete because these injuries frequently heal slowly and have a tendency to recur. It is thought that many of the recurrent injuries to the hamstring musculotendinous unit are the result of inadequate rehabilitation following the initial injury. The severity of hamstring injuries is usually of first or second degree, but occasionally third-degree injuries (complete rupture of the musculotendinous unit) do occur.
Most hamstring strain injuries occur while running or sprinting. Several aetiological factors have been proposed as being related to injury of the hamstring musculotendinous unit. They include: poor flexibility, inadequate muscle strength and/or endurance, dyssynergic muscle contraction during running, insufficient warm-up and stretching prior to exercise, awkward running style, and a return to activity before complete rehabilitation following injury.
Treatment for hamstring injuries includes rest and immobilisation immediately following injury and then a gradually increasing programme of mobilisation, strengthening, and activity. Permission to return to athletic competition should be withheld until full rehabilitation has been achieved (complete return of muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility in addition to a return of co-ordination and athletic agility). Failure to achieve full rehabilitation will only predispose the athlete to recurrent injury. The best treatment for hamstring injuries is prevention, which should include training to maintain and/or improve strength, flexibility, endurance, co-ordination, and agility.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agre, J.C. and Baxter, T.L.: Strength and flexibility characteristics of collegiate soccer players. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 62: 539 (1981).
Arner, O.; Lindholm, A. and Orell, S.R.: Histologic changes in subcutaneous rupture of the Achilles tendon. Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica 116: 484–490 (1958).
Baker, B.E.: Current concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of musculotendinous injuries. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 16: 323–327 (1984).
Basmajian, J.V.: Muscles Alive: Their Functions Revealed by Electromyography, pp. 156–164 and 235–280 (Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore 1978).
Brewer, B.J.: Mechanism of injury to the musculotendinous unit. Instructional Course Lectures, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons 17: 354–358 (1960).
Brewer, B.J.: Athletic injuries; musculotendinous unit. Clinical Orthopedics 23: 30–37 (1962).
Brubaker, C.E. and James, S.L.: Injuries to runners. Journal of Sports Medicine 2: 189–198 (1974).
Burkett, L.N.: Causative factors in hamstring strains. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2: 39–42 (1970).
Cailliet, R.: Low Back Pain Syndrome, 2nd ed, pp.44–46 (F.A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, 1968).
Casal, D.C.; Agre, J.C.; Leon, A.S.; McNally, M.C.; Baxter, T.L.; and Serfass, R.: Pre-season cardiorespiratory, anthropometric, and musculoskeletal characteristics of professional ice hockey players. Submitted for publication (1985).
Christensen, C.S.: Strength, the common variable in hamstring strain. Athletic Trainer 7: 36–40 (1972).
Cooper, D.L. and Fair, J.: Trainer’s corner: Hamstring strains. Physician and Sportsmedicine 6: 104 (1978).
Craig, T.T. (Ed.): American Medical Association Comments in Sports Medicine, pp.25–27 (American Medical Association, Chicago, 1973).
Dornan, P.: A report on 140 hamstring injuries. Australian Journal of Sports Medicine 4: 30–36 (1971).
Ekstrand, J. and Gillquist, J.: Soccer injuries and their mechanisms: A prospective study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 15: 267–270 (1983).
Garrett, W.E.: Strains and sprains in athletes. Postgraduate Medicine 73 (3): 200–209 (1983).
Gilliam, T.B.; Sady, S.P.; Freedson, P.S.; and Villanacci, J.: Isokinetic torque levels for high school football players. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 60: 110–114 (1979).
Glick, J.M.: Muscle strains: Prevention and treatment. Physician and Sportsmedicine 8: 73–77 (1980).
Inman, V.T.; Ralston, H.J.; and Todd, F.: Human Walking, pp.l–154 (Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore 1981).
Kennedy, J.C. and Willis, R.B.: The effects of local steroid injections on tendons: A biomechanical and microscopic correlative study. American Journal of Sports Medicine 4: 11–21 (1976).
Kirby, R.L.; Simms, F.C.; Symington, V.J. and Garner, J.B.: Flexibility and musculoskeletal symptomatology in female gymnasts and age-matched controls. American Journal of Sports Medicine 9: 160–164 (1981).
Kottke, F.J.: Therapeutic exercise to maintain mobility and therapeutic exercise to develop meuromuscular coordination; in Kottke et al. (Eds) Krusen’s Handbook of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 3rd ed. pp.389–402 and 403–426 (W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia 1982).
Kraus, H: Evaluation and treatment of muscle function of the athletic injury. American Journal of Surgery 98: 353–362 (1959).
Kulund, D.N. (Ed.): The Injured Athlete, pp.358–359 (J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia 1982).
Leach, R.: Running injuries of the knee; in D’Ambrosia and Drez Jr (Eds) Prevention and Treatment of Running Injuries, pp. 57–76 (Charles B. Slack, Inc., Thorofare, NJ 1982).
Mann, R.A.: Biomechanics of running: in D’Ambrosia and Drez Jr (Eds) Prevention and Treatment of Running Injuries, pp.l–14 (Charles B. Slack Inc., Thorofare, NJ 1982a).
Mann, R.A.: Biomechanics of running; in Mack (Ed.) American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons’ Symposium on The Foot and Leg in Running Sports, pp. 1–29 (C.V. Mosby Company, St Louis 1982b).
Mann, R.A. and Hagy, J.L.: Running, jogging, and walking: A comparative electromyographic and biomechanical study; in Bateman and Trott (Eds) The Foot and Ankle (Thieme-Stratton, Inc, New York 1980).
Mannis, C.I.: Individualized preseason evaluation of high school football players. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 12: 135 (1980).
Morris, A.F.: Sports Medicine: Prevention of Athletic Injuries, pp. 162–163 (Wm C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, Iowa 1984).
Mueller, E.A.: Influence of training and inactivity on muscle strength. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 51: 449–462 (1970).
Roy, S. and Irvin, R.: Sportsmedicine: Prevention, Evaluation, Management and Rehabilitation, pp.298–305 (Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 1983). ai]Scudder, G.N.: Torque curve produced at the knee during isometric and isokinetic exercise. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 61: 68–73 (1980).
Tipton, C.M.; Matthes, R.D.; Maynard, J.A.; and Carey, R.A.: The influence of physical activity on ligaments and tendons. Medicine and Science in Sports 7: 165–175 (1975).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Agre, J.C. Hamstring Injuries. Sports Medicine 2, 21–33 (1985). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198502010-00003
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198502010-00003