Blood flow of the gluteus medius muscle. An animal study

We investigated the effects of subperiosteal dissection on blood flow in the gluteal medius muscle in adult rabbits using the hydrogen washout technique. After the control blood-flow rate was determined, 8 rabbits were separated into 2 groups according to the direction of the dissection. The gluteal medius muscle was dissected from the iliac crest in the proximal-distal direction in 10 hips. In another 6 hips, the greater trochanter was osteomised and the gluteus medius muscle was dissected from the ilium in the distal-proximal direction. Dissection of the middle third of the gluteus medius muscle caused the most significant reduction in blood flow, more than 50% in both groups. This result indicates that minimising damage to the mid-portion of the gluteus medius muscle is important for reducing the incidence of post-operative complications.