Nerve · Glutes

Superior gluteal nerve

Nervus gluteus superior

The superior gluteal nerve supplies gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae — the muscles on the side of the hip that hold the pelvis level every time you stand on one leg. It is the only branch of the sacral plexus to leave the pelvis above piriformis rather than below it, and it carries no skin sensation. Its clinical signature is therefore purely mechanical: when it fails, the pelvis drops on the unsupported side during single-leg stance and the walk develops a lurch toward the weak hip.