Gluteus maximus (Musculus gluteus maximus)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
The bulkiest muscle in the body — the shape of the buttock. It is the 'standing-up' muscle: extending the flexed hip raises the body from sitting and bending, and it laterally rotates the thigh in walking and climbing.
Origin & insertion
Origin: ilium behind the gluteal line, sacrum, coccyx and sacrotuberous ligament. Insertion: gluteal tuberosity of the femur and the iliotibial tract.
Action
Extends the hip and laterally rotates the thigh; stabilizes the knee via the iliotibial tract.
Innervation
Inferior gluteal nerve (L5–S2)
Clinical notes
The upper outer quadrant of the buttock is the safe IM injection site away from the sciatic nerve; weakness disables stair-climbing and rising far more than level walking.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Gluteus maximus?
The bulkiest muscle in the body — the shape of the buttock. It is the 'standing-up' muscle: extending the flexed hip raises the body from sitting and bending, and it laterally rotates the thigh in walking and climbing.
Why is the Gluteus maximus clinically important?
The upper outer quadrant of the buttock is the safe IM injection site away from the sciatic nerve; weakness disables stair-climbing and rising far more than level walking.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details