Gluteus maximus

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 [edit on Wikidata]

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.