Joints

Just as you did on the front limb, use the location of the muscle in reference to the joint and its locations of attachment to determine the action of the muscle. Some muscles in the hind limb act upon multiple joints (such as the semitendinosis muscle, which extends the hip, flexes the stifle and extends the tarsus), and a few may both extend or flex the stifle (such as the semimembranosis muscle), depending on which portion of the muscle contracts. See Fig 58, pg 91 of Guide to the Dissection of the Dog for line drawings of the muscles with their attachments.