Inferior gluteal artery

The inferior gluteal artery (sciatic artery), the smaller of the two terminal branches of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery, is distributed chiefly to the buttock and back of the thigh. It passes down on the sacral plexus of nerves and the piriformis muscle, behind the internal pudendal artery.

It passes through the lower part of the greater sciatic foramen.

It escapes from the pelvis between piriformis muscle and coccygeus muscle. It then descends in the interval between the greater trochanter of the femur and tuberosity of the ischium.

It is accompanied by the sciatic nerve and the posterior femoral cutaneous nerves, and covered by the gluteus maximus.

It continues down the back of the thigh, supplying the skin, and anastomosing with branches of the perforating arteries.