Inferior gluteal artery

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Artery: Inferior gluteal artery
Left gluteal region, showing surface markings for arteries and sciatic nerve.
Internal iliac artery and branches, including inferior gluteal artery.
Latin arteria glutea inferior
Gray's subject #155 620
Supplies Gluteus maximus muscle, Piriformis muscle, Quadratus femoris muscle
Source Internal iliac artery   
Branches Accompanying artery of ischiadic nerve
Vein inferior gluteal veins
Dorlands
/ Elsevier
    
a_61/12154415

The inferior gluteal artery (sciatic artery), the larger of the two terminal branches of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery, is distributed chiefly to the buttock and back of the thigh.

It passes down on the sacral plexus of nerves and the Piriformis, behind the internal pudendal artery, to the lower part of the greater sciatic foramen, through which it escapes from the pelvis between the Piriformis and Coccygeus.

It then descends in the interval between the greater trochanter of the femur and tuberosity of the ischium, accompanied by the sciatic and posterior femoral cutaneous nerves, and covered by the Glutæus maximus, and is continued down the back of the thigh, supplying the skin, and anastomosing with branches of the perforating arteries.

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This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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