Muscles of the Gluteal Region Quiz

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Which of the following best describes the primary actions of the piriformis muscle?

A Flexion of the extended hip and lateral rotation of the flexed hip
B Lateral rotation of the extended thigh and abduction of the flexed thigh ✓
C Adduction of the extended thigh and medial rotation of the flexed thigh
D Lateral rotation of the flexed thigh and medial rotation of the extended thigh
E Medial rotation of the extended thigh and adduction of the flexed thigh

The answer is B: Lateral rotation of the extended thigh and abduction of the flexed thigh

Explanation

Why B is correct

See Deep Gluteal Region. Option B is correct: piriformis is a deep gluteal muscle that arises from the front of the sacrum and passes through the greater sciatic foramen to the greater trochanter of the femur. Its pull from behind the hip makes it a lateral rotator (it turns the thigh outwards), and in a hip that is flexed it also acts as an abductor (it moves the thigh away from the midline). In the extended hip its main action is to rotate the thigh laterally, and in the flexed hip its main action becomes abduction. Piriformis is also the key landmark of the gluteal region, because the sciatic nerve normally leaves the pelvis directly below it, which is why the muscle matters clinically. A simple way to remember the group: the deep gluteal muscles are the lateral rotators, and piriformis is the highest of them.

Muscle: piriformis arises from the front of the sacrum and passes through the greater sciatic foramen to the greater trochanter.
Extended hip: it rotates the thigh laterally.
Flexed hip: it abducts the thigh.

Why the other options are incorrect

A. Flexion of the extended hip and lateral rotation of the flexed hip: Flexion of the extended hip and lateral rotation of the flexed hip make flexion a primary action, but piriformis lies behind the hip and does not flex it; lateral rotation occurs in extension, not flexion.
C. Adduction of the extended thigh and medial rotation of the flexed thigh: Adduction of the extended thigh and medial rotation of the flexed thigh are the opposite of the actions of piriformis. The muscle abducts the flexed hip and is a lateral rotator of the extended hip, so it is not an adductor.
D. Lateral rotation of the flexed thigh and medial rotation of the extended thigh: Lateral rotation of the flexed thigh and medial rotation of the extended thigh swap the positions at which piriformis acts. When the hip is extended it rotates laterally, and when the hip is flexed it abducts, so this pairing is not the primary action.
E. Medial rotation of the extended thigh and adduction of the flexed thigh: Medial rotation of the extended thigh and adduction of the flexed thigh reverse the real actions of piriformis. Piriformis turns the extended thigh outwards, not inwards, and moves the flexed thigh away from the midline, not towards it.

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More questions from this set. Start the quiz to answer them and see each explanation.

1
Which action is primarily produced by the gluteus minimus muscle at the hip joint?
2
Which nerve supplies gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae?

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