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, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The three muscles originate from the ilium and sa ...

, 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 (; plural: ''aponeuroses'') is a type or a variant of the deep fascia, in the form of a sheet of pearly-white fibrous tissue that attaches sheet-like muscles needing a wide area of attachment. Their primary function is to join muscl ...

, and this ends in a tendon which is inserted into an impression on the anterior border of the

greater trochanter The greater trochanter of the femur is a large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence and a part of the skeletal system. It is directed lateral and medially and slightly posterior. In the adult it is about 2–4 cm lower than the femoral head.Stan ...

, and gives an expansion to the capsule of the

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

. It is also a local stabilizer for the hip.

Relations

bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) 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 ...

is interposed between the

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...

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 superior gluteal nerve is a nerve that originates in the pelvis. It supplies the gluteus medius muscle, the gluteus minimus muscle, the tensor fasciae latae muscle, and the piriformis muscle. Structure The superior gluteal nerve originate ...

. 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 piriformis muscle () is a flat, pyramidally-shaped muscle in the gluteal region of the lower limbs. It is one of the six muscles in the lateral rotator group. The piriformis muscle has its origin upon the front surface of the sacrum, and in ...

, the superior gemellus or the outer part of the origin of the

vastus lateralis The vastus lateralis (), also called the vastus externus, is the largest and most powerful part of the quadriceps femoris, a muscle in the thigh. Together with other muscles of the quadriceps group, it serves to extend the knee joint, moving the ...

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. It was explained that both gluteus minimus and medius have same function. Their primary function is abduction of femur, 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. 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 The articularis genus (also known as the subcrureus muscle) is a small skeletal muscle located anteriorly on the thigh just above the knee. Structure It arises from the anterior surface of the lower part of the body of the femur, deep to the v ...

in the knee.

Clinical significance

Paralysis of this muscle or gluteus medius, such as may be caused by the

palsy, can lead to difficulty abducting the leg. Patients will compensate for their difficulty walking by adopting a

Trendelenburg gait Trendelenburg gait, named after Friedrich Trendelenburg, is an abnormal gait. It is caused by weakness or ineffective action of the gluteus medius muscle and the gluteus minimus muscle. Gandbhir and Rayi point out that the biomechanical action ...

References

Additional images

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, isch ...

is shown in semi-transparent. File:Gray344.png, Structures surrounding right hip-joint. (Gluteus minimus visible at center left.) File:Gray235.png, Right hip bone. External surface. File:Gray244.png, Right femur. Anterior surface. 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