Quick Facts
Origin: Gluteal region.
Course: Travels deep to gluteus maximus and enters the pelvic cavity through the greater sciatic foramen to drain into the internal iliac vein.
Tributaries: Medial circumflex femoral vein and venules from the gluteus maximus muscle.
Drainage: Posterior thigh and gluteal region.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The inferior gluteal veins in the gluteus maximus muscle in the gluteal region.
Course
From its origin the inferior gluteal vein courses deep to the gluteus maximus and inferior to the piriformis muscle. It travels through the greater sciatic foramen, with the corresponding artery, to drain into the anterior division of internal iliac vein.
Tributaries
The inferior gluteal vein receives blood from the medial circumflex femoral vein and venules of the gluteus maximus muscle. The gluteal veins communicate with tributaries from the femoral region via the medial and lateral circumflex veins. Therefore, they provide an alternative route for venous return in conditions in which the femoral vein may be occluded (Moore et al, 2013).
Structures Drained
The inferior gluteal vein drains muscle of the posterior thigh and gluteal region. This includes the coccygeus, levator ani, piriformis, quadratus femoris, hamstrings, gluteus maximus muscles, and the sciatic nerve.
List of Clinical Correlates
- Piriformis syndrome
References
Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F. and Agur, A. M. R. (2013) Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Clinically Oriented Anatomy 7th edn.: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
