Gluteal Region and Posterior Thigh Flashcards
What four general motions are performed by the gluteal and posterior thigh muscles?
Extension, abduction, medial, and lateral rotation of the leg at the hip
What is the purpose of the sacrospinous and sacrotuberous ligaments?
These stabilize the sacrum so that the sacrum does not pivot forward due to the weight of the upper body transmitting down the spine.
What ligament separates the greater sciatic foramen and the lesser sciatic foramen? What forms the medial border of these foramen?
The sacrospinous ligament separates the two and the sacrotuberous ligament forms the medial border.
What is the most superficial gluteal muscle and what innervates it? What does the muscle do?
Gluteus maximus, innervated by the inferior gluteal nerve. It extends the leg at the hip, laterally rotates the leg, and assists in abduction.
Name six muscles that are immediately deep to the gluteus maximus.
- Gluteus medius
- Gluteus minimus
- Piriformis
- Quadratus femoris
- Obturator internus
- Gemelli
What is the importance of the piriformis muscle?
It marks the border of the superior gluteal muscles.
Where does the piriformis muscle originate and what is its insertion? What does the muscle do?
The piriformis arises from the anterior aspect of the second to the fourth segments of the sacrum, emerges through the greater sciatic foramen, and passes inferolaterally to attach to the greater trochanter of the femur. It is a lateral rotator of the leg at the thigh and helps hold the femoral head into the acetabulum.
Name six structures that emerge to the gluteal region through the greater sciatic foramen along the inferior border of the piriformis muscle.
- Inferior gluteal vessls
- Inferior gluteal nerve
- Sciatic nerve
- Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve
- Pudendal nerve
- Internal pudendal vessels
What do the gluteus minimus and medius muscles do?
Abduct the thigh and stabilize the pelvis during walking.
What can happen if someone has an injury to the superior gluteal nerve? What test is used clinically to spot this?
The superior gluteal nerve innervates the gluteus medius and minimus. If injured the patient’s hips will be abnormally pushed upwards on the side of the grounded foot while walking. If this is seen then it is called a “positive Trendelenburg test.”
Where in relation to the piriformis are the gluteus medius and minimus?
Superior and lateral
What happens to the nerves and vessels that enter the glut region superior to the piriformis?
They continue laterally in the fascial plane between the gluteus medius and minimus to supply the tensor fascia lata muscle.
How does the sciatic nerve enter the gluteal region?
Through the greater sciatic foramen inferior to the piriformis muscle.
The sciatic nerve is composed of two major nerves. At the popliteal fossa the medial component turns into the _______ nerve and the lateral component turns into the ______ _______ nerve.
medial - tibial
lateral - common peroneal
What muscles do the sciatic nerve innervate?
Hamstring muscles and all the muscles below the knee, including the sole of the foot
The quadratus femoris muscle passes from the ________ _______ to the femur.
ischial tuberosity
What nerve innervates the gluteus maximus?
Inferior gluteal nerve