Hamstring Muscles. Analysis of its Use and Proposal for Inclusion in Terminologia Anatomica

The Terminologia Anatomica published in 2019 in English and 2001 in Spanish conTAIns the official names of anatomical structures. However, there are terms that are not included in this terminology, and are widely used, such as the term "hamstring muscles. The objective of this work was to analyze the use of the terms hamstring muscles, muscles of the posterior compartment of thigh and muscles of the flexor compartment of thigh. A narrative review was carried out that included 37 anatomy books, 3 dictionaries of medical and biological terminology, 10 databases and 15 digital resources. Results: In the books published after 2001, 55.6 % used the term hamstring muscles, 18.5 % muscles of the posterior compartment of thigh and 0 % muscles of the flexor compartment of thigh; In no dictionary was the use of the terms hamstring muscles, muscles of the posterior compartment of thigh or muscles of the flexor compartment of thigh found; In the databases, 12,104 articles were found with the term hamstring muscles, 5 with the term muscles of the posterior compartment of thigh and 1 with the term muscles of the flexor compartment of thigh; In the digital anatomy resources, 50 % used the term hamstring muscles, 37.5 % the term muscles of the posterior compartment of thigh and 12.5 % muscles of the flexor compartment of thigh. In conclusion, the use of the term hamstring muscles far exceeds the use of the terms indicated by the International Anatomical Terminology. Additionally, this term is anatomically descriptive and univocal. In this regard, it seems appropriate to assess the incorporation of the term hamstring muscles in Terminologia Anatomica.