Essay On Gluteus Medius

The gluteus medius originates from the dorsal surface of the ilium between the posterior and anterior gluteal lines and inserts on the lateral and superior surface of the greater trochanter of the femur. The muscle is classified as a local stabilizer with the primary responsibility of maintaining a level hip height in individuals through means of stabilisation whilst walking or running (Moore and Dalley, 1987:554). During walking and running the gluteus medius contracts before and after the foot makes contacts with the ground in order to abduct the hip, preventing adduction (Retchford, Crossley, Grimaldi, Kemp and Cowan, 2013:7) which would result in a cross over gait. According to the same source, the activity produced by the gluteus medius does not change in relation to change in speed of movement.
In addition, the primary movements of the gluteus medius include abduction of the thigh at the hip as well as medial rotation by its anterior fibres and lateral rotation by the posterior fibres (Kiran, 2012:215).
Ayotte, Stetts, Keenan and Greenway, 2007. Boudreau et al., 2009. Distefano et al., 2009. Boren et al., 2011. Ekstrom et al., 2007) to determine gluteus medius activation and function during strength, neuromuscular and core stability exercises. In a pre-test post-test study performed to improve the walking gait in a group of children with cerebral palsy, it has been observed that neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) contributes to improved muscle tone of the gluteus medius (Al-Abdulwahaba and Al-Khatrawib, 2009:209). The results of the study concluded that using NMES during training improves the walking gait of affected individuals close to that of the normal