Female Buttocks, Posterior View

Description

Centered on the posterior pelvis, the illustration frames the female gluteal region with the paired buttocks separated by the intergluteal cleft and bounded superiorly by the sacral triangle overlying the midline sacrum. Surface contours correspond to the bulk of gluteus maximus, with the superolateral fullness hinting at the underlying gluteus medius deep to it, while the inferolateral margin rounds toward the greater trochanter region. Superiorly, the posterior iliac crests and the posterior superior iliac spine dimples sit lateral to the sacral midline; inferiorly, the gluteal fold marks the transition to the proximal posterior thigh. Landmarks are clear. These posterior surface landmarks matter in day-to-day clinical anatomy because they guide safe intramuscular injection planning and bedside localization of deeper structures that are not visible, including the sciatic nerve as it exits the pelvis inferior to piriformis and courses deep to gluteus maximus. Selecting the superolateral quadrant of the buttock, or using the ventrogluteal site (gluteus medius and minimus) when indicated, reduces the risk of sciatic nerve injury and avoids the inferior gluteal vessels in the lower medial region. The intergluteal cleft and sacrococcygeal area are also common sites for pilonidal disease and intertriginous dermatitis, so accurate appreciation of the midline and skin folds supports documentation and procedural planning. Anatomy instructors can use this posterior view in musculoskeletal and surface anatomy labs to teach pelvic and hip landmarks, while clinicians may reference it in patient-facing materials for injection counseling, pressure injury prevention over the sacrum, or postoperative wound care near the gluteal cleft. Medical publishers will also find it suitable for chapters on the gluteal region, dermatomal mapping, and regional anesthesia approaches that depend on reliable posterior landmarks. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.