Lower limb
Short Head of Biceps Femoris
Musculus biceps femoris, caput breve
- Origin
- Linea aspera and the lateral intermuscular septum of the femur
- Insertion
- Head of the fibula, together with the long head of biceps femoris
- Function
- Flexion and external rotation of the knee (no hip function, unlike the long head)
- Innervation
- Common fibular (peroneal) nerve, branch of the sciatic nerve (L5-S2)
- Movement & chain
- The only hamstring component that acts only on the knee (monoarticular); often loaded separately during isolation exercises such as the knee flexion curl.
- Palpation
- Difficult to distinguish separately from the long head; lateral hamstring tendon near the popliteal fossa, located slightly deeper.
- Clinical
- The atypical innervation (common fibular nerve instead of tibial nerve as with the rest of the hamstrings) is clinically relevant in sciatic nerve injury.
- Segmental innervation
- Common fibular nerve, L5-S2.
- In clinical practice
- Relevant when differentiating lateral versus medial hamstring complaints during physical examination, and in EMG studies because of the atypical innervation.
- Region in the model
- Lower limb