Gluteal Muscles

What Are the Gluteal Muscles

The gluteal region, or buttock, refers to the area of the body located behind the pelvis and beneath the iliac crest. The muscles located in this region are collectively referred to as the gluteal muscles. In a narrower sense, gluteal muscles, or “glutes,” often refer only to the three large muscles that shape the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus.

In broader anatomical terms, the gluteal muscles include all the muscles situated in the gluteal region. These muscles help stabilize the pelvis and hips while also playing a crucial role in movements of the hip joint, enabling activities such as walking, running, and more.

Based on their depth, the gluteal muscles are grouped into two layers: the superficial and the deep gluteal muscles.

Name, Location, & Anatomy of the Gluteal Muscles 

Superficial Gluteal Region

It is a group of four muscles that form the superficial layer of the buttocks and is primarily responsible for their shape and contour.

They act primarily to abduct the thigh at the hip joint. Except for the gluteus maximus, the other superficial gluteal muscles also medially rotate the thigh at the hip joint. By attaching to both the ilium and the proximal femur, they also play a crucial role in stabilizing the pelvis and hips, which is essential for maintaining posture and facilitating movement.

Here is a list of the muscles in the superficial gluteal region, with their basic anatomy and functions:

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Action	Innervation	Blood Supply
Gluteus maximus(The largest muscle in the body)	— Gluteal surface of the ilium between the iliac crest and the posterior gluteal line— Posterolateral surfaces of sacrum and coccyx— Thoracolumbar fascia— Sacrotuberous ligament	— Iliotibial tract — Gluteal tuberosity of the femur	— Extending, abducting, and externally rotating the thigh at the hip joint	Inferior gluteal nerve (L5-S2)	Superior and inferior gluteal arteries
Gluteus medius	Gluteal surface of the ilium, between the iliac crest and anterior gluteal line	Greater trochanter of the femur	— Abducting and internally rotating the thigh at the hip joint— Stabilizing the pelvis and hips	Superior gluteal nerve (L4-S1)	Superior gluteal artery
Gluteus minimus	Gluteal surface of the ilium, between the anterior and inferior gluteal lines	Greater trochanter of the femur	— Abducting and internally rotating the thigh at the hip joint— Stabilizing the pelvis and hips	Superior gluteal nerve (L4-S1)	Superior gluteal artery
Tensor fascia latae	— Anterior superior iliac spine— Outer lip of the iliac crest	Gerdy’s tubercle via the iliotibial tract	— Abducting, medially rotating, and flexing the thigh at the hip joint— Externally rotating the lower leg at the knee joint— Stabilizing the hip and knee	Superior gluteal nerve (L4-S1)	— Lateral circumflex femoral artery— Superior gluteal artery

Deep Gluteal Region

The deep gluteal region consists of five small and medium-sized muscles situated beneath the gluteus maximus. These muscles primarily act as lateral rotators of the thigh at the hip joint, but they also contribute to stabilizing the head of the femur within the acetabulum during movement.

Here is a list of the muscles in the deep gluteal region, with their location, functions, and anatomy:

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Action	Innervation	Blood Supply
Piriformis	Anterior surface of sacrum (S2-S4)	Greater trochanter of the femur	— Laterally rotating the thigh at the hip joint— Stabilizing the hip joint— Abducting the thigh when the hip is flexed	Nerve to Piriformis (S1-S2)	— Inferior and superior gluteal arteries— Internal pudendal artery— Lateral sacral artery
Obturator internus	— Ischiopubic ramus— Posterior surface of the obturator membrane	Trochanteric fossa of the femur	— Laterally rotating the thigh at the hip joint— Stabilizing the hip joint— Abducting the thigh when the hip is flexed	Nerve to obturator internus (L5-S2)	Inferior gluteal artery
Superior gemellus	Posterior surface of the ischial spine	Trochanteric fossa via the obturator internus tendon	Helping the obturator internus in its actions	Nerve to obturator internus (L5-S2)	Inferior gluteal artery
Inferior gemellus	Superior-posterior surface of the ischial tuberosity	Trochanteric fossa via the obturator internus tendon	Helping the obturator internus in its actions	Nerve to quadratus femoris (L5-S1)	Inferior gluteal artery
Quadratus femoris	Lateral surface of the ischial tuberosity	Quadrate tubercle of the femur	Laterally rotating the thigh at the hip joint	Nerve to quadratus femoris (L4-S1)	— Inferior gluteal artery— Medial circumflex femoral artery

Note: Although the obturator externus also acts as a lateral rotator of the thigh, it is anatomically part of the medial compartment of the thigh and is therefore not included in the list of gluteal region muscles above.

All the muscles in the gluteal region receive innervation from branches of the sacral plexus, and their blood supply comes primarily from branches of the internal iliac artery. An exception is the quadratus femoris, which also receives blood from the medial circumflex femoral artery, a branch of the deep femoral artery.

Several important nerves and blood vessels pass through the greater sciatic foramen to enter the gluteal region. These include the sciatic nerve, superior and inferior gluteal nerves and vessels, and the posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh, among others. The piriformis muscle serves as a landmark, with some structures emerging above it, while others pass below.