| Gluteus maximus | |
|---|---|
 The location of the gluteus maximus | |
 The gluteus maximus and gluteus medius | |
| Details | |
| Origin | Gluteal surface of ilium, lumbar fascia, sacrum, sacrotuberous ligament |
| Insertion | Gluteal tuberosity of the femur and iliotibial tract |
| Artery | Superior and inferior gluteal arteries |
| Nerve | Inferior gluteal nerve (L5, S1 and S2 nerve roots) |
| Actions | External rotation and extension of the hip joint, supports the extended knee through the iliotibial tract, chief antigravity muscle in sitting and abduction of the hip |
| Antagonist | Iliacus, psoas major and psoas minor |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | musculus glutaeus maximus |
| TA98 | A04.7.02.006 |
| TA2 | 2598 |
| FMA | 22314 |
| Anatomical terms of muscle | |
The gluteus maximus is the main extensor muscle of the hip in humans. It is the largest and outermost of the three gluteal muscles and makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of each side of the hips. It is the single largest muscle in the human body.[1] Its thick fleshy mass, in a quadrilateral shape, forms the prominence of the buttocks. The other gluteal muscles are the medius and minimus, and sometimes informally these are collectively referred to as the glutes.
Its large size is one of the most characteristic features of the muscular system in humans,[2] connected as it is with the power of maintaining the trunk in the erect posture. Other primates have much flatter hips and cannot sustain standing erectly.
The muscle is made up of muscle fascicles lying parallel with one another, and are collected together into larger bundles separated by fibrous septa.
- ^ "What is the strongest muscle in the human body?". Library of Congress. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ Norman Eizenberg et al., General Anatomy: Principles and Applications (2008), p. 17.