Middle buttock

The gluteus medius muscle is a flat, robust and triangular-shaped muscle, located in the gluteal region above the small gluteal muscle and below the large gluteal muscle. It is covered by the deep gluteal fascia, a thick leaflet that also covers the small buttock. It originates from the gluteal face of the iliac wing, between the anterior and posterior gluteal line, from the external lip of the iliac crest, from the anterior superior iliac spine and from the deep gluteal fascia.

Its muscular bundles converge in a fan and are inserted on the external face of the great trochanter, capturing it.

With its 40 cm 2 surface, the gluteus medius muscle is the main abductor of the thigh. It also has other secondary actions depending on the type of muscle fibers recruited. In particular the anterior fibers, with their action, flex and rotate the thigh internally while the back fibers extend and extra-rotate the thigh.

It maintains the transverse balance of the pelvis in case of unilateral support and therefore has an important role in walking.

It is innervated by the superior gluteal nerve (L4, L5, S1)

ORIGIN

Between the anterior and posterior gluteal lines of the hip, the external lip of the iliac crest, the anterior superior iliac spine