Quick Facts
Origin: Anterior division of internal iliac artery.
Course: Descends posteriorly between the piriformis and coccygeus (ischiococcygeus) muscles to enter the gluteal region through the greater sciatic foramen.
Branches: Artery to sciatic nerve.
Supplied Structures: Pelvic diaphragm, piriformis, quadratus femoris, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, skin of buttock, and posterior thigh.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The inferior gluteal artery originates as the larger terminal branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery.
Course
The inferior gluteal artery descends posteriorly from its origin. It passes anterior to the sacral plexus and piriformis muscle and passes between the first and second (or second and third) anterior rami of the sacral nerves. The inferior gluteal artery then descends between the piriformis and coccygeus muscles to enter the gluteal region through the lower part of the greater sciatic foramen.
The inferior gluteal artery continues to descend between the greater trochanter of femur and the ischial tuberosity, along with the sciatic and posterior femoral cutaneous nerves, to enter the thigh.
Branches
The inferior gluteal artery often gives off an artery to sciatic nerve, which accompanies the sciatic nerve along its course. However, the origin of this artery may vary (Georgakis and Soames, 2008).
Supplied Structures
The inferior gluteal artery supplies the coccygeus, iliococcygeus (levator ani), piriformis, gluteus maximus, superior gemellus, and biceps femoris muscles. It also supplies the skin of the buttock and posterior thigh.
References
Georgakis, E. and Soames, R. (2008) 'Arterial supply to the sciatic nerve in the gluteal region', Clin Anat, 21(1), pp. 62-5.
