Advanced Gluteus Medius Quiz

Q1. Why can a superior gluteal nerve lesion produce a Trendelenburg gait?

• It paralyzes the quadriceps and causes knee buckling
• It abolishes ankle plantarflexion
• It weakens the stance-side hip abductors that stabilize the pelvis
• It denervates gluteus maximus alone

Q2. Why may a patient with right gluteus medius weakness lean the trunk toward the right during stance?

• It substitutes for ankle dorsiflexion
• It increases the lever arm of body weight
• It forces the left pelvis to drop further
• It reduces the external adduction moment at the right hip

Q3. Why is the plane between gluteus medius and minimus surgically important?

• It contains the superior gluteal neurovascular bundle
• It contains the obturator canal
• It contains the femoral nerve and artery
• It contains the sciatic nerve throughout its course

Q4. How does gluteus medius reduce bending stress across the pelvis during single-limb support?

• It directly compresses the knee menisci
• It eliminates all forces through the femoral neck
• It generates an abduction moment opposing the body-weight moment
• It pulls the unsupported limb into plantarflexion

Q5. Why can gluteus medius tendon pathology cause lateral hip pain near the greater trochanter?

• Its tendon inserts on the tibial tuberosity
• It forms the sciatic nerve sheath
• Its tendon attaches in the loaded greater trochanteric region
• It passes through the femoral canal

Q6. Why are anterior and posterior fibers of gluteus medius capable of producing different rotational effects?

• Only posterior fibers attach to the femur
• They have different peripheral nerves
• Their lines of pull differ relative to the hip rotation axis
• Anterior fibers cross the knee joint

Q7. Why can bilateral gluteus medius weakness markedly disturb normal gait even if hip abduction is still possible through other muscles?

• Normal gait repeatedly depends on stance-side pelvic stabilization
• The muscle is the only ankle stabilizer
• Walking requires gluteus medius to extend the knee
• The muscle directly controls toe clearance

Q8. Which anatomical relationship helps distinguish gluteus medius from gluteus minimus during dissection?

• The sciatic nerve separates them
• Both muscles occupy the femoral canal
• Gluteus minimus lies superficial to medius
• Gluteus medius lies superficial to minimus with the superior gluteal bundle between them

Q9. Why can injury to gluteus medius affect hip joint loading as well as visible pelvic position?

• Hip abductors contribute to the force balance across the joint during stance
• It prevents all femoral rotation
• The muscle directly produces synovial fluid
• It forms the acetabular labrum

Q10. Which statement best integrates the anatomy and function of gluteus medius?

• It is an inferior-gluteal-nerve-supplied hip extensor inserting into the iliotibial tract
• It is an obturator-nerve-supplied hip adductor
• It is a femoral-nerve-supplied knee extensor
• It is a superior-gluteal-nerve-supplied hip abductor that inserts on the greater trochanter and stabilizes the pelvis