Advanced Gluteus Minimus Quiz

Q1. Why can injury to the superior gluteal nerve weaken gluteus minimus?

• The muscle receives motor fibers only from the obturator nerve
• The inferior gluteal nerve is its only motor nerve
• The femoral nerve enters its deep surface
• The superior gluteal nerve directly innervates the muscle

Q2. How can isolated weakness of gluteus minimus add to pelvic instability even if gluteus medius retains some function?

• It paralyzes ankle dorsiflexion
• It removes quadriceps function
• It prevents knee flexion during swing
• It reduces the combined stance-side abductor moment

Q3. Why is deep dissection between gluteus medius and minimus potentially hazardous?

• The obturator nerve exits through this plane
• The femoral nerve and artery occupy this plane
• The superior gluteal nerve and vessels occupy this plane
• The sciatic nerve normally runs entirely between them

Q4. What functional role may the capsular attachment of gluteus minimus serve during hip movement?

• It replaces the acetabular labrum
• It forms the ligament of the head of the femur
• It prevents all movement at the hip
• It can help tension and retract the hip capsule

Q5. Why can pathology of the gluteus minimus tendon present as lateral hip pain?

• The tendon inserts on the tibial tuberosity
• The tendon passes through the femoral canal
• The tendon forms the sciatic nerve sheath
• The tendon is loaded at its greater trochanteric insertion

Q6. What anatomical feature supports the internal rotation action of gluteus minimus?

• Its tendon crosses behind the knee
• Its line of pull approaches the anterior greater trochanter
• Its fibers terminate in the Achilles tendon
• Its insertion lies on the medial tibia

Q7. Why does hip abductor weakness alter the mechanical force balance across the hip joint?

• The abductors normally extend the knee
• The abductors eliminate all hip compression
• The abductors normally counter the body-weight adduction moment
• The abductors form the acetabular labrum

Q8. Which anatomical finding best identifies gluteus minimus during dissection?

• A muscle superficial to gluteus maximus
• A muscle in the posterior leg
• A muscle inside the femoral canal
• A muscle deep to gluteus medius against the ilium and hip capsule

Q9. Why can leaning the trunk toward a weak stance-side hip reduce the demand on gluteus minimus and the other abductors?

• It changes gluteus minimus into an adductor
• It restores damaged superior gluteal nerve fibers
• It shortens the moment arm of body weight about the hip
• It lengthens the body-weight moment arm

Q10. Which statement best integrates gluteus minimus anatomy?

• It is a deep hip abductor and internal rotator supplied by the superior gluteal nerve
• It is a hip adductor supplied by the obturator nerve
• It is a knee extensor supplied by the femoral nerve
• It is a superficial hip extensor supplied by the inferior gluteal nerve