The hip stabiliser
Gluteus medius · musculus gluteus medius
A fan-shaped muscle on the side of your hip that keeps your pelvis level when you walk.
What it does
The gluteus medius sits on the outer surface of the pelvis, partly under the gluteus maximus, and attaches to the bony bump at the top of the femur. Each time you stand on one leg, it contracts to stop the pelvis dropping on the other side.
Surprising fact
If this muscle is weak, the hip on the opposite side sags with each step, producing a waddling walk that doctors call a Trendelenburg gait.
Why it matters
A weak gluteus medius is linked to knee and hip pain in runners. Side-lying leg raises and single-leg exercises strengthen it.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.