I am involved in high school soccer and participate in track and field in the sprinting events. I started developing chronic buttock pain from a hamstring problem. I’ve tried everything I know to rehab the thing. Is it too drastic to ask them to just cut the tendon and be done with it? Would I still be able to run?

Athletes suffer their fair share of tendon problems. Most often there’s knee pain from patellar tendon disorders or ankle pain from Achilles tendinopathy. Tendinopathy is another term for any disorder affecting the tendon.

Hamstring tendinopathy is a less common but equally disabling condition. Athletes involved in sprinting and middle- to long-distance running events are affected most often. The hamstring muscle is located along the back of the thigh. This muscle helps bend the knee and extend the hip. The muscle is made up of three main parts: the semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and the biceps femoris. The semimembranosus is the specific area affected by hamstring tendinopathy.

Surgery for buttock pain coming from the upper or proximal end of the hamstring is a possible treatment option. The surgeon cuts the affected tendon and muscle and allows them to retract (pull back) away from the bone.

Then the surgeon reattaches the tendon with sutures (stitches) to another part of the hamstring muscle (usually to the biceps femoris tendon). This is a way to shield the affected tendon from ongoing mechanical stress. The goal is to give the semimembranosus a chance to heal by protecting it from overuse.

The results can be very favorable, even allowing the athlete to return to sports activity at a level equal to participation before the condition developed. In a small number of cases reported tightness and pain persisted. The affected athletes had the operation repeated a second time with good results.