Inferior gluteal artery

Inferior gluteal artery
Left gluteal region, showing surface markings for arteries and sciatic nerve
Internal iliac artery and branches, including inferior gluteal artery
Details
Source	Internal iliac artery
Branches	Accompanying artery of ischiadic nerve
Vein	Inferior gluteal veins
Supplies	Gluteus maximus, piriformis and quadratus femoris muscles
Identifiers
Latin	arteria glutaea inferior
TA98	A12.2.15.018
TA2	4355
FMA	18871
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The inferior gluteal artery (sciatic artery) is a terminal branch of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery. It exits the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen. It is distributed chiefly to the buttock and the back of the thigh.^{[citation needed]}

Anatomy

Origin

It is the smaller of the two terminal branches of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery.^{[citation needed]}

Course

It passes posterior-ward within parietal pelvic fascia. It travels in between the S1 nerve and S2 (or S2-S3) nerve(s).^[1] It descends upon the nerves of the sacral plexus and the piriformis muscle, posterior to the internal pudendal artery. It passes through the inferior part of the greater sciatic foramen.^[2] It exits the pelvis inferior to the piriformis muscle,^[1] between piriformis muscle and coccygeus muscle.^{[citation needed]}

It then descends in the interval between the greater trochanter of the femur and tuberosity of the ischium. It is accompanied by the sciatic nerve and the posterior femoral cutaneous nerves, and covered by the gluteus maximus.^[2] It is situated medial to the sciatic nerve.^[1] It continues down the back of the thigh, supplying the skin, and anastomosing with branches of the perforating arteries.^{[citation needed]}

Distribution

The inferior gluteal artery provides arterial supply to the gluteus maximus, obturator internus, quadratus femoris, and (the superior parts of) the hamstring muscles (semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris muscles).^[1]

Anastomoses

It forms anastomoses with the superior gluteal artery. It frequently participates in the formation of the cruciate anastomosis of the thigh.^[1]

Additional images

• 
  The arteries of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions.
• 
  Dissection of side wall of pelvis showing sacral and pudendal plexuses.

See also

• Superior gluteal artery

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 620 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

• Inferior gluteal artery at the Duke University Health System's Orthopedics program
• Anatomy figure: 43:07-12 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Sagittal view of the internal iliac artery and its branches in the female pelvis. "
• pelvis at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (pelvicarteries)

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