Gluteus maximus
Musculus gluteus maximus
MuscularSuperficial musclesPelvisLeft and right
View left in 3D View right in 3D
- What it is
- The largest and most superficial gluteal muscle, a thick coarse-fibred quadrilateral sheet that shapes the buttock. It arises from the posterior ilium behind the posterior gluteal line, the back of the sacrum and coccyx and the sacrotuberous ligament, and inserts into the iliotibial tract and the gluteal tuberosity of the femur.
- Function
- Powerful extensor and lateral rotator of the hip - used to climb stairs, rise from a chair, run and jump; through the iliotibial tract it also steadies the extended knee.
- Size
- About 20 x 15 cm and 2-3 cm thick; at roughly 0.8-1 kg the heaviest single muscle.
- Clinical note
- Intramuscular injections go into the upper outer quadrant of the buttock to avoid the sciatic nerve, which runs beneath its lower half.