Semimembranosus muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Knipe H, Hacking C, Feger J, et al. Semimembranosus muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 28 Feb 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-23308
Permalink:
rID:
23308
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
16 times, by
9 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
The semimembranosus muscle is one of the hamstring muscles in the posterior compartment of the thigh and accompanies the semitendinosus muscle in the medial aspect of the posterior thigh. It is named for its flattened membranous tendon of its ischial attachment.
Its lateral border forms the superomedial border of the popliteal fossa.
On this page:
Summary
- origin: ischial tuberosity
- insertion: infraglenoid tubercle of the posterior medial tibial condyle, posterior joint capsule (contributing to the oblique popliteal ligament), popliteal fascia and posterior horn of medial meniscus
-
action
- flexes knee joint
- medially rotates knee joint (when the knee is flexed beyond 90o)
- extends hip joint (less than biceps femoris)
-
arterial supply
- inferior gluteal artery
- perforating arteries
- popliteal artery
- innervation: tibial nerve
- antagonist: quadriceps
Variant anatomy
- absent muscle
- accessory semimembranosus muscle
Related pathology
See also
References
- 1. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Sookur PA, Naraghi AM, Bleakney RR, Jalan R, Chan O, White LM. Accessory muscles: anatomy, symptoms, and radiologic evaluation. (2008) Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. 28 (2): 481-99. doi:10.1148/rg.282075064 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Accessory semimembranosus muscle
- Knee bursae
- Pes anserinus
- Sciatic nerve motor distribution
- Distal semimembranosus tendon
- Ischial avulsion injury
- Posterior compartment of the thigh
- Medial collateral ligament of the knee
- Meniscocapsular ligament
- Popliteal fossa
- Sciatic neuropathy
- Posteromedial corner injury of the knee
- Becker muscular dystrophy
- Tensor fasciae suralis muscle
- Muscles of the lower limb
- Pes anserinus bursa
- Hamstring muscles
- Baker cyst
- Speech bubble sign
Cases:
- Intramuscular hemangioma - child
- Baker cyst - intramuscular extension
- Hamstring injury
- Gossypiboma - knee
- Semimembranosus tendinopathy
- Semimembranosus bursitis
- Peripheral nerve sheath tumour - sciatic nerve
- Popliteal fossa (diagram)
- Semimembranosus tendon injury - partial tear
- Baker cyst
- MRI knee - axial (anatomy quiz)
- Semimembranosus tendinopathy
- Cysticercosis of gastrocnemius muscle
- Ossified bodies in popliteal cyst
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Lower limb
- skeleton of the lower limb
- joints of the lower limb
-
hip joint
- ligaments
- muscles
- additional structures
- hip joint capsule
- zona orbicularis
- iliotibial band
-
hip bursae
- anterior
- iliopsoas bursa (iliopectineal bursa)
- lateral
- subgluteal bursae
- greater trochanteric bursa (subgluteus maximus bursa)
- subgluteus medius bursa
- subgluteus minimus bursa
- gluteofemoral bursa
- subgluteal bursae
- postero-inferior
- anterior
- ossification centers
-
knee joint
- ligaments
- anterior cruciate ligament
- posterior cruciate ligament
- medial collateral ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- meniscofemoral ligament (mnemonic)
-
posterolateral ligamentous complex
- arcuate ligament
- patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon
- anterolateral ligament
- posterior oblique ligament
- oblique popliteal ligament
- medial patellofemoral ligament
- additional structures
- extensor mechanism of the knee
- groove for the popliteus tendon
- knee bursae
- anterior bursae
- medial bursae
- lateral bursae
- posterior bursae
- knee capsule
- lateral patellar retinaculum
- medial patellar retinaculum
- menisci
- pes anserinus (mnemonic)
- ossification centers
- ligaments
- tibiofibular joints
-
ankle joint
- regional anatomy
- medial ankle
- lateral ankle
- anterior ankle
- ligaments
- medial collateral (deltoid) ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- additional structures
- ankle bursae
- ossification centers of the ankle
- variants
- regional anatomy
- foot joints
- subtalar joint
- mid-tarsal (Chopart) joint
-
tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint
- ligaments
- intermetatarsal joint
- metatarsophalangeal joint
- interphalangeal joint
- ossification centers
-
hip joint
- spaces of the lower limb
-
muscles of the lower limb
- muscles of the pelvic group
- muscles of the thigh
- muscles of the leg
- anterior compartment of the leg
- posterior compartments of the leg
- lateral compartment of the leg
- muscles of the foot
- dorsal muscles
- plantar muscles
- 1st layer
- 2nd layer
- 3rd layer
- 4th layer
- accessory muscles of the lower limb
- accessory gluteal muscles
-
accessory muscles of the ankle
- accessory peroneal muscles
- accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle
- accessory soleus muscle
- peroneocalcaneus internus muscle
- tibiocalcaneus internus muscle
- extensor hallucis capsularis tendon
- anterior fibulocalcaneus muscle
- accessory extensor digiti secundus muscle
- tibioastragalus anticus of Gruber muscle
- vascular supply of the lower limb
- arterial supply of the lower limb
- venous drainage of the lower limb
- innervation of the lower limb
- lymphatic system of the lower limb
- lymphatic pathways
- anteromedial group
- anterolateral group
- posteromedial group
- posterolateral group
- lower limb lymph nodes
- lymphatic pathways