The inferior gluteal artery anatomy: a detailed analysis with implications for plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Background: The inferior gluteal artery (IGA) is a large terminal branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery (ADIIA). There is a significant lack of data regarding the variable anatomy of the IGA.

Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted to establish anatomical variations, their prevalence and morphometrical data on IGA and its branches. The results of 75 consecutive patients who underwent pelvic computed tomography angiography were analysed.

Results: The origin variation of each IGA was deeply analysed. Four origin variations have been observed. The most common type O1 occurred in 86 of the studied cases (62.3%). The median IGA length was set to be 68.50 mm (lower quartile [LQ]: 54.29; higher quartile [HQ]: 86.06). The median distance from the origin of the ADIIA to the origin of the IGA was set to be 38.22 mm (LQ: 20.22; HQ: 55.97). The median origin diameter of the IGA was established at 4.69 mm (LQ: 4.13; HQ: 5.45).

Conclusions: The present study thoroughly analysed the complete anatomy of the IGA and the branches of the ADIIA. A novel classification system for the origin of the IGA was created, where the most prevalent origin was from the ADIIA (type 1; 62.3%). Furthermore, the morphometric properties (such as the diameter and length) of the branches of the ADIIA were analysed. This data may be incredibly useful for physicians performing operations in the pelvis, such as interventional intraarterial procedures or various gynaecological surgeries.