Electrode Placement (SENIAM)
50% on line between ischial tuberosity and medial epicondyle
Orientation: Parallel to line ischial tuberosity-medial epicondyle
Source:
SENIAM (Hermens 2000) ↗
Hermens HJ, Freriks B, Disselhorst-Klug C, Rau G. Development of recommendations for SEMG sensors and sensor placement procedures. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2000;10(5):361-74.
Recording notes per Criswell 2011, site „Medial and Lateral Hamstring“, p. 369
- Placement type
- Specific site The signal originates predominantly from this muscle.
- Signal check
- Prone: flex the knee against resistance; standing: flex the knee.
- Crosstalk from
- lateral hamstrings (biceps femoris) · semimembranosus · quadriceps
Based on SENIAM recommendations (Hermens et al. 2000). Not an official SENIAM product. See all references →
· How electrodes are placed (guide)
· Glossary
All 47 muscle protocols as a PDF — free
Print-ready for the lab or clinic: 75 pages of protocols (SENIAM + peer-reviewed), plus the SENIAM table, a placement checklist and a sensor comparison sheet as A4 sheets.
Anatomy
Origin
Ischial tuberosity (together with long head of M. biceps femoris)
Insertion
Pes anserinus (proximal medial tibial surface)
Test Movement
Knee flexion in prone position against resistance with foot internal rotation
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
Clinical Applications
Common use cases for surface EMG measurement of the M. Semitendinosus:
- Hamstring injury prevention
- Sprint and athletic movement analysis
- Post-ACL rehabilitation
Measure M. Semitendinosus 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I place the EMG electrode on the M. Semitendinosus?
50% on line between ischial tuberosity and medial epicondyle. Orientation: Parallel to line ischial tuberosity-medial epicondyle. Based on the official SENIAM recommendations (Hermens et al. 2000).
Which test movement activates the M. Semitendinosus?
Knee flexion in prone position against resistance with foot internal rotation. This movement is part of the SENIAM protocol for standardized contraction verification.
Is the M. Semitendinosus a SENIAM-recommended muscle?
Yes. The M. Semitendinosus is one of 26 muscles for which the SENIAM project has published official surface EMG electrode placement recommendations.
Related Muscles in This Region
Preview — open the 3D viewer to rotate the model and check neighbouring muscles.
View in 3D Viewer