Inferior gluteal veins
Venae gluteae inferiores
Paired companion veins of the inferior gluteal artery that drain the lower buttock and back of the upper thigh into the internal iliac vein.
At a glance
- English
- Inferior gluteal veins
- Latin (TA2)
- Venae gluteae inferiores
- System
- Vein
- Region
- Trunk
- Side
- Paired, left and right
About the inferior gluteal veins
The inferior gluteal veins are the companion veins of the inferior gluteal artery, sometimes called the sciatic veins. They drain the lower part of gluteus maximus, the upper parts of the hamstrings, the short lateral rotators of the hip and the skin of the lower buttock. Like most deep veins away from the heart, they usually run as two or more vessels around the artery rather than as one.
They take origin in the upper part of the posterior thigh. Here they connect with the medial circumflex femoral vein and the first perforating vein, so they form part of the venous network around the hip that links the femoral system with the veins of the pelvis. From there they ascend deep to gluteus maximus, alongside the sciatic nerve and the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve, to the gap below piriformis.
They then pass into the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen, below piriformis. Inside the pelvis the companion veins merge into a single trunk, which empties low down into the internal iliac vein. On the way they lie on the sacral plexus.
Because of their links with the femoral system, the inferior gluteal veins can act as a bypass route when the femoral or iliac veins are blocked. In early development a sciatic vein is the main drainage channel of the lower limb, and in some people it persists as a large vessel running with the sciatic nerve; this persistent sciatic vein may be found in patients with vascular malformations of the leg. Varices of the gluteal veins near the sciatic nerve are a rare cause of sciatic-type pain.
Course and drainage
- Begins at
- Begin in the upper posterior thigh, where they communicate with the medial circumflex femoral and first perforating veins.
- Drains into
- Enter the pelvis below piriformis through the greater sciatic foramen and unite into a single trunk that joins the internal iliac vein low in the pelvis.
- Drains
- Drain the lower buttock, including the lower part of gluteus maximus, the short hip rotators and the upper hamstrings.
Anthromica
See the inferior gluteal veins where it really sits, with every layer of the body around it.
- Every layer, one body. Peel from muscle to bone, nerve, vessel and organ, and turn it any way.
- English and Latin. Every structure named the way your exam names it.
- Quiz until it sticks. Short drills on the structures you keep missing.
Free to start. No card.
