Clinical imaging · UKMLA & AKT
Muscle strains and tears (hamstring/quadriceps/calf)
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise muscle strains and tears (hamstring/quadriceps/calf) — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Strains occur at the musculotendinous junction (MTJ) - mechanically weakest point under load
- Mechanism: eccentric contraction (muscle contracts while lengthening) → high tensile force at MTJ
- Hamstrings - biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus; bi-articular; vulnerable during sprinting (late swing phase)
- Quadriceps - rectus femoris most commonly strained (only bi-articular component)
- Calf - gastrocnemius more vulnerable (bi-articular, crosses knee); both insert via Achilles tendon
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