During lower-extremity manual muscle testing, the position described—prone with the knee flexed to 90 degrees while the hip is extended—primarily tests which muscle group?

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Multiple Choice

During lower-extremity manual muscle testing, the position described—prone with the knee flexed to 90 degrees while the hip is extended—primarily tests which muscle group?

Explanation:
This position biases knee flexion while the hip is held in extension, so the hamstrings are the primary movers being tested. The long head of the biceps femoris crosses both the hip and knee, and with the hip extended and the knee flexed to 90 degrees, it is the muscle most engaged to produce knee flexion against resistance. The gluteus maximus and gluteus medius are hip muscles and don’t contribute to knee flexion, so they aren’t the prime focus here. Among the hamstrings, the long head is the most isolated in this setup, making it the best choice for this test position.

This position biases knee flexion while the hip is held in extension, so the hamstrings are the primary movers being tested. The long head of the biceps femoris crosses both the hip and knee, and with the hip extended and the knee flexed to 90 degrees, it is the muscle most engaged to produce knee flexion against resistance. The gluteus maximus and gluteus medius are hip muscles and don’t contribute to knee flexion, so they aren’t the prime focus here. Among the hamstrings, the long head is the most isolated in this setup, making it the best choice for this test position.

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