Proximal Hamstring Avulsion Injuries: Injury Mechanism, Diagnosis and Disease Course

The hamstrings group is made up of three two-joint muscles whose unique anatomy and functional properties during movement make this group particularly susceptible to muscle stain injury along the extensive muscle-tendon junctions, particularly during high-speed activities like sprinting. Proximal strains injury to the hamstring can also occur from unopposed stretch that can lead to a possible avulsion injury. An office examination will identify numerous clinical signs and symptoms of strain injury, but an MR image is helpful for defining the extent of a proximal injury. The common strain injury is treated with RICE while the choice of treatment for a proximal injury is dependent upon the number of tendons involved and the amount of tissue retraction. Early surgical intervention is advocated to avoid complications from a chronic injury. Oper Tech Sports Med 20:2-6 (c) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.