Contents
Position
- Deep
Origin
- Tuberositas ischiadicum
- Superior part
Insertion
- Trochanter major femur
- Medial surface
Main function
- Hip
- Lateral rotation
Secondary function
- Hip
- Abduction
- Pelvis
- Contralateral rotation
Nerve innervation
- Segmental
- L5-S1
- Peripheral
- Plexus sacralis
Arterial supply
- Ingerior gluteal artery
- Obturator artery
Palpation
- Patient position
- Supine
- The superior gemellus is deep and difficult to palpate
- You can palpate the deep lateral rotator group, which the superior gemellus is a part of, but it's difficult to isolate the palpation to just the superior gemellus
- Place your hand just lateral to the sacrum, halfway between the SIPS (spina iliaca posterior superior), and the apex fo the sacrum
- Ask the patient to flex the knee to 90°
- Give resistance to the patient in the direction of medial rotation, so that the patient is giving force towards lateral rotation
- Feel for the contraction of the lateral rotators
- NB! The deep lateral rotator group in the hip also consists of:
- Quadratus femoris
- Obturator internus
- Obturator externus
- Piriformis
- Gemellus inferior
- It can be difficult to seperate the individual muscles in the deep lateral rotator group but all of these muscles will be active during your resistance testing
- Also the glutues maximus is activated during this movement. If you are giving too much force this will also be activated
Strength test
- Patient position
- Sitting with 90° flexion of the knee and the leg hanging freely over the floor
- Place your one hand lateral on the patient's thigh on the side which is to be tested
- Use the opposite hand to give resistance to the patient. Place the hand along the medial aspect of the calf, and pull the leg in a internal rotation mvovement of the hip, so that the patient is giving force towards external rotation
- Please not that this tests also activates the quadratus femoris, obturator internus, obturator externus and gemellus superior which are all lateral rotators of the hip