Dominic Stone
The gluteal muscles, often referred to as the glutes, are a group of three muscles which make up the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest and strongest muscle in the body, providing the majority of the shape to the buttock region. There are also small, deep muscles in the gluteal region called the deep lateral rotators or deep six muscles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of gluteal muscles | 3 |
| Names of gluteal muscles | Gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus |
| Largest gluteal muscle | Gluteus maximus |
| Smallest gluteal muscle | Gluteus minimus |
| Other muscles in the gluteal region | Tensor fasciae latae, deep lateral rotators (or "deep six muscles") |
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What You'll Learn
- The gluteal muscles are made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus
- The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the gluteal muscles
- The gluteal muscles are vascularised by branches of the internal iliac artery
- The gluteal muscles act on the hip joint, facilitating abduction and extension of the thigh
- There are also small, deep muscles in the gluteal region called the deep six muscles
The gluteal muscles are made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus
The gluteal muscles, often called the glutes, are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region, commonly known as the buttocks. These three muscles are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. They originate from the ilium and sacrum and insert on the femur. The functions of the muscles include extension, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation of the hip joint.
The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles. It makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of the hips. It is a narrow and thick fleshy mass of a quadrilateral shape, and forms the prominence of the buttocks. The gluteus maximus is also the strongest muscle in the body. It originates on the back of the pelvis and sacrum and inserts on the back side of the top of the femur, but also connects to the iliotibial band which goes all the way down the lateral part of the thigh and past your knee.
The gluteus medius is also a large muscle. The gluteal muscles act on the hip joint, mainly to facilitate abduction and extension of the thigh, but some also assist in the adduction, external rotation and internal rotation of the thigh. These muscles help to stabilise the upper body and pelvis, and aid in locomotion.
The gluteal muscles are vascularised by branches of the internal iliac artery, namely the superior and inferior gluteal arteries. The exception is the tensor fasciae latae muscle, which receives blood supply from the ascending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery.
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The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the gluteal muscles
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes, are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks. These are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles. It makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of the hips. It is a narrow and thick fleshy mass of a quadrilateral shape, and forms the prominence of the buttocks.
The gluteal muscles originate from the ilium and sacrum and insert on the femur. The gluteus maximus originates on the back of the pelvis and sacrum and inserts on the back side of the top of the femur, but also connects to the iliotibial band which goes all the way down the lateral part of the thigh and past your knee. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body and thereby the strongest. It provides the majority of the shape to the buttock region.
The functions of the muscles include extension, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation of the hip joint. They also help to stabilise the upper body and pelvis, aid in locomotion, and extend the hip. The gluteal muscles act on the hip joint, mainly to facilitate abduction and extension of the thigh, but some also assist in the adduction, external rotation and internal rotation of the thigh.
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The gluteal muscles are vascularised by branches of the internal iliac artery
The gluteal muscles, also known as the glutes, are a group of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. These muscles make up the gluteal region, commonly known as the buttocks. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles, and it provides the majority of the shape to the buttock region.
The deep branch of the internal iliac artery supplies the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles. The superior gluteal artery, inferior gluteal artery and internal pudendal artery sometimes arise directly from the internal iliac artery. The exception to the rule that the gluteal muscles are vascularised by branches of the internal iliac artery is the tensor fasciae latae muscle, which receives its blood supply from the ascending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery.
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The gluteal muscles act on the hip joint, facilitating abduction and extension of the thigh
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes, are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks. The three muscles are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles, providing the majority of the shape to the buttock region.
The gluteus maximus is the largest and thereby the strongest muscle in the body. It originates on the back of the pelvis and sacrum and inserts on the back side of the top of the femur, but also connects to the iliotibial band which goes all the way down the lateral part of the thigh and past your knee. The gluteus medius is also a large muscle.
There are also small, deep muscles in the gluteal region called the "deep lateral rotators" or "deep six muscles". These muscles largely act to laterally rotate the femur.
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There are also small, deep muscles in the gluteal region called the deep six muscles
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes, are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks. These are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles. It makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of the hips.
The piriformis muscle is a small, flat muscle that originates from the sacrum and inserts on the greater trochanter of the femur. It is responsible for laterally rotating the femur and assisting in hip abduction and extension. The gemellus superior and gemellus inferior muscles are small, cord-like muscles that lie superior and inferior to the obturator internus muscle, respectively. These muscles also assist in the lateral rotation of the femur and help to stabilise the hip joint.
The obturator internus and obturator externus muscles are located in the pelvic region and are responsible for the lateral rotation and adduction of the femur. The quadratus femoris muscle is the deepest of the gluteal muscles and is responsible for extending the hip and assisting in the lateral rotation of the femur. Together, these six muscles work in harmony to provide stability, strength, and mobility to the hip and lower limb.
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Frequently asked questions
There are three glute muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles. It makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of the hips.
The gluteal muscles help to stabilise the upper body and pelvis, aid in locomotion, and extend the hip. They also act on the hip joint, facilitating abduction and extension of the thigh.
