Gluteus Maximus
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The gluteus maximus is the main
extensor muscle In anatomy, extension is a movement of a joint that increases the angle between two bones or body surfaces at a joint. Extension usually results in straightening of the bones or body surfaces involved. For example, extension is produced by extend ...
of the hip in humans. It is the largest and outermost 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 ...
and makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of each side of the hips. It is the single largest muscle in the human body. Its thick fleshy mass, in a quadrilateral shape, forms the prominence of the
buttocks The buttocks (: buttock) are two rounded portions of the exterior anatomy of most mammals, located on the posterior of the pelvic region. In humans, the buttocks are located between the lower back and the perineum. They are composed of a lay ...
. The other gluteal muscles are the medius and
minimus The Minimus books are a series of school textbooks, written by Barbara Bell, illustrated by Helen Forte, and published by the Cambridge University Press, designed to help children of primary school age to learn Latin. The books espouse some of th ...
, and sometimes informally these are collectively referred to as the glutes. Its large size is one of the most characteristic features of the muscular system in humans,Norman Eizenberg et al., ''General Anatomy: Principles and Applications'' (2008), p. 17. connected as it is with the power of maintaining the trunk in the erect posture. Other
primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...
s have much flatter hips and cannot sustain standing erectly. The muscle is made up of
muscle fascicle A muscle fascicle is a bundle of skeletal muscle fibers surrounded by perimysium, a type of connective tissue. Structure Muscle cells are grouped into muscle fascicles by enveloping perimysium connective tissue. Fascicles are bundled toge ...
s lying parallel with one another, and are collected together into larger bundles separated by fibrous septa.


Structure

The gluteus maximus (or buttock) is the outermost muscle of the buttocks. It arises from connections to nearby structures in this area. It arises from the posterior gluteal line of the outer upper ilium, a bone of the
pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...
, as well as above it to the iliac crest and slightly below it; from the lower part of the
sacrum The sacrum (: sacra or sacrums), in human anatomy, is a triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30. The sacrum situates at the upper, back part of the pelvic cavity, ...
and the side of the
coccyx The coccyx (: coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in all apes, and analogous structures in certain other mammals such as horse anatomy, horses. In tailless primates (e.g. hum ...
, the tailbone; from the
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 ...
of the erector spinae ( lumbodorsal fascia), the
sacrotuberous ligament The sacrotuberous ligament (great or posterior sacrosciatic ligament) is situated at the lower and back part of the pelvis. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends. Structure It runs from the sacrum (the lowe ...
, and the fascia covering the gluteus medius ( gluteal aponeurosis). The fibers are directed obliquely inferiorly and laterally; The gluteus maximus ends in two main areas: *those forming the upper and larger portion of the muscle, together with the superficial fibers of the lower portion, end in a thick tendinous lamina, which passes across the greater trochanter, and inserts into the iliotibial band of the fascia lata; *the deeper fibers of the lower portion are inserted into the gluteal tuberosity of the
linea aspera The linea aspera () is a ridge of roughened surface on the posterior surface of the shaft of the femur. It is the site of attachments of muscles and the intermuscular septum. Its margins diverge above and below. The linea aspera is a prominent ...
, between the vastus lateralis and
adductor magnus The adductor magnus is a large triangular muscle, situated on the medial side of the thigh. It consists of two parts. The portion which arises from the ischiopubic ramus (a small part of the inferior ramus of the pubis, and the inferior ramu ...
. If present, the third trochanter also serves as an attachment. File:Gerrish's Text-book of Anatomy (1902) - Fig. 349.png, Gluteus maximus of right side: outline and attachment-areas. File:Gray235.png, Image showing the outer surface of the ilium, showing the inferior gluteal line File:Testut's Treatise on Human Anatomy (1911) - Vol 1 - Fig 339.png, Origin and attachment areas at the proximal femur. Gluteus maximus is marked with number 12. File:Spalteholz's Hand-Atlas of Human Anatomy (1906) - Vol 1 - Fig 176-177.png, Attachment zone at the femur File:Gluteus maximus muscle.PNG, Muscles of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions, showing origin and insertion of gluteus maximus muscle


Bursae

Three
bursae A synovial bursa, usually simply bursa (: bursae or bursas), is a small fluid-filled sac lined by synovial membrane with an inner capillary layer of viscous synovial fluid (similar in consistency to that of a raw egg white). It provides a cushi ...
are usually found in relation with the deep surface of this muscle: *One of these, of large size, separates it from the greater trochanter (''Bursa trochanterica m. glutaei maximi''), *a second (often missing) is situated on the tuberosity of the
ischium The ischium (; : is ...
(''Bursae glutaeofemorales''), *a third is found between the skin and the tendon of the muscle, which sometimes extends to the vastus lateralis (''Bursa trochanterica subcutanea.''


Function

The gluteus maximus straightens the leg at the hip; when the leg is flexed at the hip, the gluteus maximus extends it to bring the leg into a straight line with the body. The anus also aligns when the leg is flexed at the hip, making the muscle tighten and the pelvis tilt forward. Taking its fixed point from below, it acts upon the
pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...
, supporting it and the trunk upon the head of the femur; this is particularly obvious in standing on one leg. Its most powerful action is to cause the body to regain the erect position after stooping, by drawing the pelvis backward, being assisted in this action by the biceps femoris (long head),
semitendinosus The semitendinosus () is a long superficial muscle in the back of the thigh. It is so named because it has a very long tendon of insertion. It lies posteromedially in the thigh, superficial to the semimembranosus. Structure The semitendinosus, ...
, semimembranosus, and
adductor magnus The adductor magnus is a large triangular muscle, situated on the medial side of the thigh. It consists of two parts. The portion which arises from the ischiopubic ramus (a small part of the inferior ramus of the pubis, and the inferior ramu ...
. The lower part of the muscle also acts as an adductor and external rotator of the limb. The upper fibers act as abductors of the hip joints. The gluteus maximus is a tensor of the fascia lata, and by its connection with the iliotibial band steadies the femur on the articular surfaces of the
tibia The tibia (; : tibiae or tibias), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two Leg bones, bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outsi ...
during standing, when the extensor muscles are relaxed. Therefore, the muscle carries out an extension, a valgisation and an external rotation of the
knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
.


Society and culture


Training

The gluteus maximus is involved in several sports, from running to weight-lifting. A number of exercises focus on the gluteus maximus and other muscles of the upper leg: *Hip thrusts *Glute bridge *Quadruped hip extensions * Kettlebell swings * Squats and variations like split squats, unilateral squats with the raised foot positioned either backwards or forwards (pistols), and wide-stance lunges *
Deadlift The deadlift is a strength training exercise in which a weight-loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, with the torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting ...
(and variations) *Reverse hyperextension *Four-way hip extensions *Glute-ham raise


In art

In cultural terms, the glutes are often considered a symbol of health and strength, and aesthetically appealing. They frequently feature in artwork which seeks to emphasise and celebrate physicality, and the ability to move dynamically and powerfully. They are usually shown to be efficiently proportioned and prominent. Evidence of such depictions of the gluteal muscles extends from at least
Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
to the modern day. File:Javelin thrower Ancient Greece.jpg, An Ancient Greek javelin thrower represented on a vase, c. 520 B.C. File:Statue B Riace Bronzes side view.jpg, An Ancient Greek warrior in bronze. Riace Bronzes, c. 450 B.C.


Clinical significance

Functional assessment can be useful in assessing injuries to the gluteus maximus and surrounding muscles. The 30-second chair-to-stand test measures a participant's ability to stand up from a seated position as many times as possible in a thirty-second period of time. Testing the number of times a person can stand up in a thirty-second period helps assess strength, flexibility, pain, and endurance, which can help determine how far along a person is in rehabilitation, or how much work is still to be done. The piriformis test measures flexibility of the gluteus maximus. This requires a trained professional and is based on the angle of external and internal rotation in relation to normal range of motion without injury or impingement.


Other animals

The gluteus maximus is larger in size and thicker in humans than in other
primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...
s. Specifically, it is approximately 1.6 times larger relative to body mass compared to chimpanzees and comprises about 18.3% of total hip musculature mass versus 11.7% in chimpanzees. Its large size is one of the most characteristic features of the muscular system in humans, connected as it is with the power of maintaining the trunk in the erect posture. Other primates have much flatter hips and cannot sustain standing erectly. In other primates, the correlate to the human gluteus maximus consists of the ischiofemoralis, a small muscle that corresponds to the human gluteus maximus and originates from the ilium and the ligaments of the sacroiliac, and the gluteus maximus proprius, a large muscle that extends from the
ischial tuberosity The ischial tuberosity (or tuberosity of the ischium, tuber ischiadicum), also known colloquially as the sit bones or sitz bones, or as a pair the sitting bones, is a large posterior bony protuberance on the superior ramus of the ischium. It ...
to a relatively more distant insertion on the femur. In adapting to bipedal gait, reorganization of the attachment of the muscle as well as the moment arm was required.


Running

The human gluteus maximus plays multiple important functional roles, particularly in running rather than walking. During running, it helps control trunk flexion, aids in decelerating the swing leg, and contributes to hip extension. During level walking, the muscle shows minimal activity, suggesting its enlargement was not primarily adapted for walking. The muscle's size and position make it uniquely suited for controlling trunk position during rapid movements and stabilizing the trunk against flexion. While traditionally associated with maintaining erect posture, evidence suggests its enlargement was more likely selected for its role in running capability and trunk stabilization during various dynamic activities. These adaptations would have been particularly important for activities like running and climbing in early human evolution.


Additional images

File:Gluteus all.gif, All gluteal muscles, maximus in yellow File:Sobo 1909 318.png, Gluteus maximus is the most superficial muscle of the
hips 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 ...
, here visible at top centre with skin removed from the entire right leg. Note its rather thin fascia. File:Sobo 1909 294.png, The gluteus maximus, with surrounding fascia. Right buttock, viewed from behind, skin covering removed. File:Sobo 1909 575-576.png, Innervation and blood-supply of the gluteus maximus File:Sobo 1909 301.png, Gluteus maximus cut showing underlying structures File:Sobo 1909 295.png, Structures visible under the gluteus maximus File:Sobo 1909 577-578.png, Innervation as seen from under the gluteus maximus File:Gray344.png, Structures surrounding right
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 list of human anatomical regions, ...
(gluteus maximus visible at bottom) File:Braus 1921 249.png, Surface anatomy of the upper leg, lateral view. x = Gluteus maximus, xx = Vastus lateralis, .. = Biceps femoris, . = Tendon of the biceps femoris / Capitulum fibulae. File:Braus 1921 248.png, Superficial muscles of the body, lateral view


See also

* * List of skeletal muscles of the human body


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control Hip adductors Hip extensors Hip lateral rotators Muscles of the gluteus Hip muscles Muscles of the lower limb