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Gluteus maximus: anatomy, location and function

The largest and most superficial buttock muscle. Extends and laterally rotates the thigh; important for rising from sitting and climbing stairs.

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Highlighted in the model: Gluteus maximus. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Gluteus maximus at a glance

What it is
The largest and most superficial buttock muscle.
Location
Origin: ilium behind the posterior gluteal line, dorsal sacrum and coccyx, and sacrotuberous ligament. Insertion: iliotibial tract and gluteal tuberosity of the femur.
Function
Extends and laterally rotates the thigh; important for rising from sitting and climbing stairs.
Body system
Muscular · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA22328 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Innervation: inferior gluteal nerve (L5–S2)
  • Blood supply: superior and inferior gluteal arteries
  • The sciatic nerve emerges below piriformis deep to it.

Clinical relevance

Intramuscular injections into the buttock are given in the upper outer quadrant to avoid the sciatic nerve.

Structures next to the gluteus maximus

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Gluteus maximus (FMA22328). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §11.2 Naming Skeletal Muscles. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.