It is important to note that the biceps femoris is one of the three hamstring muscles. When a biceps femoris avulsion occurs, the tendon is pulled away from the bone.
Symptoms
A biceps femoris avulsion typically occurs during fast or violent movements involving hip flexion and knee extension and can cause severe pain. The swelling will manifest in the area of the avulsion where the tendon connects to the bone at the exterior back part of the knee.
There is also diminished hamstring strength particularly reduced capability to flex the affected knee joint against resistance. In case of an avulsion, the bone fragment can be felt or palpated through the skin.
Close look on bicep femoris avulsion
The biceps muscle is part of the hamstring muscles and composed of two separate muscle bellies that stem from various sites, namely the short head and the long head. It is important to note that the long head starts from an area at the rear of the hip bone known as the ischial tuberosity while the short head starts from the back of the femur.
Both muscle bellies join together, cross the knee joint and insert into the upper exterior surface of the two shin bones. Remember that it has a dual function, both to bend the knee and extend the hip.
The biceps femoris is typically injured during sports that entail explosive bending of the knee particularly in sprinting. Once an individual is fatigued or was not able to warm up properly, he/she might end up with a hamstring strain. A biceps femoris avulsion occurs when it comes away from the bone and takes along a bony piece. This usually occurs where the long head connects to the ischial tuberosity in the buttocks but can also occur at the rear part of the knee.
Any form of injury to the biceps femoris are quite common than the other hamstring muscles. In a study conducted, this is due to the fact that each of the two heads is innervated by various branches of the sciatic nerve. If an individual is already fatigued or the muscles are not properly warmed up, the uncoordinated firing of the nerves can cause the muscle to contract incorrectly during movement, resulting to injury.
Treatment
The individual should rest and apply cold therapy along with compression right away. An ice pack can be applied for 10-15 minutes every hour initially during the acute stage. In some cases, the injury might be mistaken as a simple tendon rupture and only after an X-ray is taken where a biceps femoris avulsion is diagnosed. You can ease the symptoms experienced by the individual if you will register for first aid training today.
In minor cases, conservative forms of treatment are used which includes a resting period followed by stretching and strengthening exercises. As for severe injuries, they are treated by keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees for a number of weeks while the injury heals. Remember that severe injuries must be repaired surgically by a doctor. However, the recovery period after surgery might take longer than the conservative methods.