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M. Semimembranosus

Semimembranosus (Semimem L)

The M. Semimembranosus (Semimembranosus) is a muscle of the thigh posterior region. It is responsible for knee flexion, hip extension, internal rotation of the lower leg with flexed knee. This muscle is not covered by the official SENIAM catalogue — placement is based on established clinical literature. This page documents the exact electrode position, anatomical attachments and a standardized test movement based on Hermens et al. (2000).

Function

Knee flexion, hip extension, internal rotation of the lower leg with flexed knee

Opposite side: Semimem R
Rotate the body, see the electrode position in place — and check the neighbouring muscles right away. View in 3D Viewer
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Anatomy

Origin Ischial tuberosity (lateral facet) Insertion Medial tibial condyle (posterior), oblique popliteal ligament, fascia of M. popliteus Innervation Tibial division of the sciatic nerve, L5–S2

Innervation after Perotto AO, Anatomical Guide for the Electromyographer, 5th ed. 2011 — an anatomical reference, not an electrode placement recommendation.

Test Movement

Knee flexion in prone position against resistance with internal rotation

This muscle has no SENIAM-standardized electrode position. Placement should be based on anatomical knowledge.

MVC reference test (Konrad 2005)

Position
Prone, unilateral knee flexion held at about 20–30° knee flexion.
Fixation
Very good hip fixation (belt or a heavy person holding the pelvis).
Resistance
Manual resistance or strap at the heel, knee flexion against it.
Control exercise
The prone erector spinae test is the important check exercise.

Konrad tests the hamstrings as one group ("Mm. ischiocrurales"); surface EMG does not separate the medial and lateral heads well.

Konrad P. The ABC of EMG. Noraxon; 2005, p. 32. Konrad describes this test at group level; it applies to all muscles of the group. · Why and how to normalise to MVC

Measure M. Semimembranosus activity live

The electrode is placed — what next? easyEMG visualises muscle activity in real time, with SENIAM-compliant placement guidance, up to 4 channels at once and biofeedback training right afterwards.

In training, what matters for this muscle is targeted activation and left/right symmetry.

Related Muscles in This Region

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Professional EMG biofeedback software for PicoBlue sensors. Real-time visualization, 5 training modes, PDF reports.

EMG Guide as PDF — free
48 muscle protocols (SENIAM + peer-reviewed) on 84 pages, print-ready.