Gluteus minimus muscle

The gluteus minimus (Latin for "little buttocks muscle ") is a skeletal muscle of the lower extremity, specifically the posterior ( dorsal) layer of the posterior hip muscles. He is completely concealed from the middle gluteal muscle ( gluteus medius ).

Since he is quite strong in the four-footed mammals, it is more appropriate here than deeper Krupp muscle (musculus glut ( a) eus profundus ) refers.

Course

Origin of the small buttocks muscle is the surface (facies glut ( a) ea ) of the ilium / iliac wing (Ala ossis Ilii ) of the iliac bone ( ilium ) between the front and lower Glutäenlinie ( Linea glut ( a) ea anterior and Linea glut ( a) ea inferior).

After querem course he sits like a cap sideways ( lateral) at the anterior margin of the greater trochanter ( great trochanter ) of the femur (femur ) to.

Function

The small gluteal muscle straddles the thigh at the hip joint from the side. During walking and running it stabilizes with the mean buttock muscle ( gluteus medius ), the pelvis ( pelvis ) and prevents it from sinking into the swing leg side.

The front portion of the small buttocks muscle rotates the thighs also inward and flexes to him, the rear portion on the other hand rotates the thigh outward and stretched him.

In the four-footed mammals in the muscle acts primarily as hip extensors ( extensor ) and Abspreizer ( abductor ).

Paralysis

With simultaneous paralysis of the small and medium gluteus it comes to so-called waddling gait, that is, at each step tilts the pelvis on the swing leg side ( Trendelenburg sign). Typical cause such a paralysis are intramuscular injections.