Final answer:
The hamstring muscles crossing the knee joint are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus, all of which are crucial for knee flexion, hip flexion, abduction, and lateral rotation. The stability and movement of the knee joint are supported by the tibiofemoral joints and the tibiofibular syndesmosis assembly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three hamstring muscles extend to the tibia and fibula, and therefore, cross the knee joint as well as the hip. These hamstring muscles include the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. They collectively play a vital role in knee flexion, a movement in the sagittal plane that decreases the angle of a joint. Additionally, the hamstrings allow for the motion involving anterior bending of the vertebral column, and this versatility enables the flexing of the leg at the knee as well as hip actions such as flexion, abduction, and lateral rotation. The latter allows one to sit cross-legged. Meanwhile, at the knee, the medial and lateral tibiofemoral joints, between the condyles of the femur and condyles of the tibia, facilitate the extension and flexion of the knee. The stability of the knee is further maintained by ligaments and the syndesmotic assembly at the distal tibiofibular joint, supported by an interosseous membrane and ligaments, which also help to prevent injury from actions such as lateral twisting of the leg.