The superior gluteal artery is the terminal branch of the posterior division of the internal iliac artery. It exits the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen before splitting into a superficial branch and a deep branch.
Structure
Origin
The superior gluteal artery is the largest and final branch of the internal iliac artery.[1][2] It branches from the posterior division of the internal iliac artery;[1] it represents the continuation of the posterior division.
Course, relations and branches
It is a short artery. It passes posterior-ward between the lumbosacral trunk and the first sacral nerve (S1).[3] Within the pelvis, it gives branches to the iliacus, piriformis, and obturator internus muscles. Just prior to exiting the pelvic cavity, it also gives off a nutrient artery which enters the ilium.[4]
The superficial branch passes over the piriformis muscle.[2] It enters the deep surface of the gluteus maximus muscle, and divides into numerous branches.[2] Some branches supply the muscle and anastomose with the inferior gluteal artery, while others perforate its tendinous origin, and supply the integument covering the posterior surface of the sacrum, anastomosing with the posterior branches of the lateral sacral arteries.[4] The superficial branch also supplies the skin over the origin of the gluteus maximus muscle.[3]
Deep branch
The deep branch passes deep to the gluteus medius. It almost immediately subdivides into the superior and inferior divisions.[3]
The superior division continues the original course of the vessel, passing along the superior border of the gluteus minimus muscle to the anterior superior spine of the ilium (ASIS), anastomosing with the deep iliac circumflex artery and the ascending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery.[3]
In the gluteal region, the superior gluteal artery supplies the gluteus maximus and overlying skin, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fascia lata.[5][better source needed]
The it participates in the formation of the trochanteric anastomoses, forming a connection between internal iliac and femoral artery.[5][better source needed] It contributes to anastomoses at the anterior superior iliac spine and the hip joint.[5][better source needed]
Additional images
Superior gluteal artery and many of the structures it supplies.
The arteries of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions.
^ abcdeHamdi, Moustapha; Gagnon, Alain R. (2009-01-01), Wei, Fu-Chan; Mardini, Samir (eds.), "CHAPTER 28 - Gluteus flap", Flaps and Reconstructive Surgery, Edinburgh: W.B. Saunders, pp. 377–395, ISBN978-0-7216-0519-7, retrieved 2021-01-14
^ abcdefghijMoore, Keith L.; Dalley, Arthur F.; Agur, Anne M. R. (2018). Clinically Oriented Anatomy (8th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. p. 734. ISBN978-1-4963-4721-3.
