What Is the Gluteus Minimus?

The gluteal muscle is located on the deep side of the gluteus medius, and its shape, start and stop, function, and vascular nerve distribution are the same as those of the gluteal muscle. Therefore, this muscle can be regarded as a part of the gluteal muscle.

The gluteal muscle is located on the deep side of the gluteus medius, and its shape, start and stop, function, and vascular nerve distribution are the same as those of the gluteal muscle. Therefore, this muscle can be regarded as a part of the gluteal muscle.

Chinese name

Gluteal muscle

Foreign name

gluteus Minimus

Gluteus minor muscle overview

1. The midbrain muscle is fan-shaped, the upper part is located under the skin, the lower part is covered by the gluteus maximus, the broad fascia tensalis muscle is in front, and the piriformis muscle is in the rear. The muscle fibers start from the back of Gezaki and end at the greater trochanter of the femur.
2. The gluteal muscles keep the trunk straight while walking, the hips are relatively fixed, and the gluteal muscles and gluteal muscles are contracted and raised when the leg is lifted and stepped.
3. Superior gluteal vessels The superior gluteal artery is the blood supply artery of the middle and small gluteal muscles. It starts from the posterior trunk of the internal iliac artery and is divided into shallow and deep branches after the hip. The superficial branch reaches the deep surface of the gluteus maximus muscle, nutritionally and conforms to the inferior gluteal artery. The deep branch is located in the deep part of the middle gluteal muscle, and is divided into upper and lower branches. The ascending branches of the artery and the lateral femoral circumflex artery are in anastomosis, and the deep inferior branch travels outward between the gluteal muscle and the gluteal muscle, and the branches nourish the biceps. Below the phrenic tubercle, the deep superior branch and superior deep branch of the superior gluteal artery are 5.9 cm apart. The superior gluteal vein and the superior gluteal artery are injected into the internal iliac vein.

The main role of gluteal muscle

The main role of the gluteal muscle is to abduct the hip joint, while the anterior fibers have internal rotation and forward flexion. In the hip joint flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation and other directions, the combination of the gluteus minimus and different muscles plays several different functions: (1) as the main abductor, and The gluteal muscles work together to abduct the hip joint with the assistance of the fascia lata, piriformis, sartorius, inner obturator, and lower gluteus maximus; (2) as the major internal rotation, the gluteal muscle Rotate the hip joint with the fibers of the anterior gluteal muscle and the latissimus fascia lata muscles under the weak synergistic forces of the semitendinosus, hemiperitoneum, and iliopsoas; (3) gluteal muscle and gluteal muscle Jointly assist the strongest gluteus maximus, which can extend the entire lower extremity of tens of kilograms and resist considerable weight; (4) As a cooperative muscle, the fibers of the back of the middle and small hips, the pubic muscle, and the iliopsoas, etc. It plays a stabilizing role in the external rotation of the hip joint, but the resultant force of its muscle strength is far less than that of the piriformis, femoris, obturator, and external muscles. Therefore, clinical external rotation deformities are far more common than internal rotation.

Vascular and innervation of the gluteus minimus

Innervation: the lower branch of the superior gluteal nerve.
The superior gluteal nerve (branch of the phrenic plexus L4, L5, S1) exits the pelvis out of the piriformis foramen to the hip, and accompanies the superior gluteal artery. The smaller branch is accompanied by the upper branch of the deep gluteal artery, which is distributed in the gluteal muscle; the larger branch is accompanied by the lower branch of the deep gluteal artery, which traverses the middle of the gluteus minor, and the hair dominates the small buttocks. Muscles and gluteal muscles, which dominate the broad fascia tensors.
Blood vessels: the lower branch of the deep branch of the superior gluteal artery.
The superior gluteal artery (wall branch of the internal iliac artery) penetrates the superior piriformis fora to the hip, and is divided into shallow and deep branches. The superficial branch is distributed in the gluteus maximus; the deep branch is divided into the upper and lower branches on the deep side of the gluteal muscle. ; The lower branch travels between the gluteal and small muscles, distributed in the gluteal, small and hip joints.

Gluteus glutealus muscle diagnosis

1. Thigh root pain or stretch pain;

2. Hip joints often pop when standing after squatting;

3. Occasional interlocking, that is, a sudden hip stiffness on one side cannot be flexed and extended;

4. When in the sitting position, you can accurately touch the gluteus muscle starting and stopping points with tenderness cords;

5. Have a long history of frequent or recent single lower limb movements;

6. It is more common in middle-aged and elderly people. There are more women than men, and the right side is more than the left side.

7. The pelvic X-ray film can show that the gap between the bilateral acetabulum and the femoral head is unequal: that is, the gap on the injured side is narrow.

8. Severe gluteal muscle injury showed acetabular ossification, and CT showed that the femoral head was slightly ischemic.

Gluteus glutealus treatment

Due to the anatomical characteristics of the gluteus minimus, its starting point is located on the anterolateral iliac bone surface of the hip bone, forming a fan-shaped flat tendon that stops at the anterior outer part of the greater trochanter. Usually, a thick and hard cable can be touched at the greater trochanter anterior tendon, and at the beginning, Because it is about 10 cm wide, most patients can touch 2-3 tender points. Needle-knife treatment is usually completed in 2-3 times. Ten years ago, we used the traditional needle-knife relaxation method, and in the past five years, we used needle-knife stabbing. The author believes that needle-knife stabbing makes patients less painful and more effective. It is treated once a week. Most patients can be cured with a needle knife 2-3 times. The hip flexion or sitting position is better for treatment.