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An atypical inferior gluteal artery passing through the piriformis muscle

  • Anatomic Variations
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Abstract

Purpose

In this article, we report a case of an atypical inferior gluteal artery that passed through the piriformis muscle when it emerged from the pelvic cavity in an elderly Japanese female cadaver. We speculate that this atypical artery could be entrapped and compressed by the piriformis muscle and may therefore be associated with piriformis syndrome; however, the anatomical characteristics of such an atypical artery have not been previously reported. To assess this potential association, the atypical inferior gluteal artery was anatomically examined.

Methods

The cadaver examined in this report was a 97-year-old Japanese female who was donated to The Nippon Dental University for use in medical education and research. The atypical inferior gluteal artery and surrounding structures in half of the pelvis were examined macroscopically.

Results

The atypical inferior gluteal artery arose from the common arterial trunk, formed by itself and the superior gluteal artery, passed through the superior proximal part of the piriformis muscle, and left the pelvic cavity. It supplies branches to the lower half of the gluteus maximus and proximal part of the long head of the biceps femoris muscle. The piriformis muscle originates from the 2nd to 4th sacral vertebrae and attaches to the greater trochanter via a single short tendon.

Conclusion

According to our findings, when the atypical inferior gluteal artery is entrapped and compressed, ischemic signs and symptoms may emerge in the lower buttocks and proximal posterior thigh. These results provide a new perspective for the diagnosis and treatment of piriformis syndrome.

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Data availability

On reasonable requests, obtained data supporting the finding of the present study are available from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank individual who donated her body to science so that anatomical research could be performed. Results from such research can potentially increase mankind’s overall knowledge that can then improve patient care. Therefore, the donor and her families deserve our highest gratitude.

Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the present work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Life Structure, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan

    Hidaka Anetai

  2. Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health and Medical Care, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan

    Hidaka Anetai, Kounosuke Tokita & Ryuhei Kojima

  3. Department of Anatomy, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata, Japan

    Kounosuke Tokita, Ryuhei Kojima, Taku Toriumi, Ikuo Kageyama & Katsuji Kumaki

Authors
  1. Hidaka Anetai
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  2. Kounosuke Tokita
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  3. Ryuhei Kojima
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  4. Taku Toriumi
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  5. Ikuo Kageyama
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  6. Katsuji Kumaki
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Contributions

HA: conceptualization, methodology, data curation, manuscript writing. KT: methodology, data curation. RK: supervision. TT: resource. IK and KK: resource, supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hidaka Anetai.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

This is an case report. We confirmed that no ethical approval is required based on the guidelines of The Japanese Association of Anatomists.

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Anetai, H., Tokita, K., Kojima, R. et al. An atypical inferior gluteal artery passing through the piriformis muscle. Surg Radiol Anat 46, 59–64 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03256-y

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