The intramuscular course of the inferior gluteal nerve in the gluteus maximus muscle and augmentation gluteoplasty.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the intramuscular course of the inferior gluteal nerve in the gluteus maximus muscle and its association with augmentation gluteoplasty. Twenty buttocks of 10 Korean adult cadavers (age range: 47-87, 7 men and 5 women) were used for the study. The inferior gluteal nerve (IGN) was traced from the infrapiriform foramen at the deep surface of gluteus maximus (GM) until the nerve thickness became 0.3 mm. The depth of the IGN was measured and the relative depth of the nerve was calculated according to the thickness of the GM at 15 points. The muscle thickness varied according to its location. The medial part (17.1-18.1 mm) was thicker than the lateral (14.5-15.7 mm) or inferior parts (14.5-14.7 mm). The IGN runs deep through the GM (59%-82% of muscle thickness). Except for below the Coccyx-Greater trochanter line, where the IGN was located (59%-62% depth), the IGN was traced to 63-82% of the depth in the GM. The IGN ran relatively superficial (below 70%) in the medial part of the GM, and was a little deeper (above 70%) in the lateral part. There results of this study showed that intramuscular augmentation gluteoplasty could be performed safely unless intramuscular dissection is performed too deeply.