Gluteal muscles

Gluteal Muscles

The Gluteal Muscles (/ɡluːˈtiːəl ˈmʌsəlz/; from Latin gluteus, Greek gloutos, meaning 'buttock') are a group of three muscles which make up the buttocks: the Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus. These muscles are responsible for movement and support of the hip joint.

Etymology

The term gluteal is derived from the Latin gluteus, which translates to 'buttock'. This term was adopted into the medical lexicon to describe the muscles found in this region.

Gluteus Maximus

The Gluteus Maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles. It makes up a large portion of the shape and appearance of the hips. It is a strong and thick fleshy mass of a quadrilateral shape, and forms the prominence of the buttock.

Gluteus Medius

The Gluteus Medius is a broad, thick, radiating muscle, situated on the outer surface of the pelvis. Its posterior third is covered by the gluteus maximus, its anterior two-thirds by the gluteal aponeurosis, which separates it from the subcutaneous tissue and skin.

Gluteus Minimus

The Gluteus Minimus, the smallest of the three gluteal muscles, is situated immediately beneath the gluteus medius. It is fan-shaped, arising from the superior margin of the greater sciatic notch, and converges to the insertion on the greater trochanter of the femur.

Related Terms

• Hip joint
• Pelvis
• Greater sciatic notch
• Greater trochanter
• Femur
• Subcutaneous tissue

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Gluteal muscles
• Wikipedia's article - Gluteal muscles

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