Gluteus Medius Muscle Pain

The gluteus medius muscle is located in the buttock; it connects the iliac bone and the femoral head. It partially runs under the gluteus maximus muscle; its surface is covered by a hard gluteal aponeurosis. This muscle may elicit buttock pain on the affected side without paresis. Gluteus medius muscle loading exacerbates the pain that radiates to the lateral or posterior thigh. Patients may experience intermittent claudication. Gluteus medius muscle pain may be misdiagnosed as lumbar spine disease. The diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms. There is a trigger point at the gluteus maximus muscle edge at the same distance from the greater trochanter and the iliac crest. Symptom alleviation by gluteus medius muscle block confirms the diagnosis. The specific treatment for gluteus medius muscle pain is muscle block and decompression surgery under local anesthesia. The etiology of gluteus medius muscle pain is still unknown; chronic compartment syndrome of the gluteus medius muscle due to overloading may be involved. In some patients, gluteus medius muscle pain coexists with other diseases, and combined treatment for concurrent diseases is required.