The gluteus minimus, or glutæus minimus, the smallest of the three

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: the gluteus maximus muscle, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius muscle, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscl ...

, is situated immediately beneath the gluteus medius.

Structure

It is fan-shaped, arising from the outer surface of the ilium, between the anterior and inferior gluteal lines, and behind, from the margin of the greater sciatic notch. The fibers converge to the deep surface of a radiated

aponeurosis An aponeurosis (; : aponeuroses) is a flattened tendon by which muscle attaches to bone or fascia. Aponeuroses exhibit an ordered arrangement of collagen fibres, thus attaining high tensile strength in a particular direction while being vulnerable ...

, and this ends in a tendon which is inserted into an impression on the anterior border of the greater trochanter, and gives an expansion to the capsule of the

hip joint In vertebrate anatomy, the hip, or coxaLatin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) (: ''coxae'') in medical terminology, refers to either an anatomical region or a joint o ...

Relations

bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

is interposed between the

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...

and the greater trochanter. Between the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus are the deep branches of the superior gluteal vessels and the superior gluteal nerve. The deep surface of the gluteus minimus is in relation with the reflected tendon of the rectus femoris and the capsule of the hip joint.

Variations

The muscle may be divided into an anterior and a posterior part, or it may send slips to the piriformis, the superior gemellus or the outer part of the origin of the vastus lateralis.

Function

The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus abduct the thigh, when the limb is extended, and are principally called into action in supporting the body on one limb, in conjunction with the tensor fasciæ latæ. Their anterior fibers also flex the hip, and by drawing the greater trochanter forward, rotate the thigh inward, in which action they are also assisted by the Tensor fasciæ latæ. Both gluteus minimus and medius have the same function. Their primary function is abduction of the

femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...

, while internal rotation and flexion can occur depending on the position of the femur. Additionally, with the hip flexed, the gluteus minimus internally rotates the thigh. With the hip extended, gluteus minimus externally rotates the thigh. It is also a local stabilizer for the hip. The attachment to the superior capsule of the hip may also serve to retract the capsule away from the joint during motion. This mechanism may prevent capsular impingement similar to the role of the articularis genus in the knee.

Clinical significance

Paralysis of this muscle or gluteus medius, such as may be caused by the superior gluteal nerve palsy, can lead to difficulty abducting the leg. People will compensate for their difficulty walking by adopting a Trendelenburg gait.

References

Additional images

File:Braus 1921 120.png File:Gluteus minimus muscle - animation04.gif, Position of gluteus minimus muscle (shown in red).

Hip bone The hip bone (os coxae, innominate bone, pelvic bone or coxal bone) is a large flat bone, constricted in the center and expanded above and below. In some vertebrates (including humans before puberty) it is composed of three parts: the Ilium (bone) ...

is shown in semi-transparent. File:Gray235.png, Right hip bone. External surface. File:Gray244.png, Right femur. Anterior surface. File:Cunningham’s Text-book of Anatomy (1914) - Fig 361.png, Insertion at the greater trochanter. File:Cunningham’s Text-book of Anatomy (1914) - Fig 373.png, Insertion at the greater trochanter. File:Gray344.png, Structures surrounding right hip-joint. (Gluteus minimus visible at center left.) File:Gray544.png, The arteries of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions. File:Gray832.png, Nerves of the right lower extremity Posterior view.

External links

PTCentral
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gluteus Minimus Muscle Hip abductors Hip lateral rotators Hip medial rotators Muscles of the gluteus Hip muscles Muscles of the lower limb