A rare cause of non-discogenic sciatica; musculus gemellus inferior: A case report

Abstract

Figure 1. Axial T 2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the inferior abdomen showing hyperintensity of the right inferior musculus gemellus.

Nondiscogenic Sciatica Syndrome, a Report on 41 Patients.

“…Piriformis syndrome should be high on the differential list when the gluteal region is clinically related to nondiscogenic sciatica syndrome. Gemellus inferior was reported to produce nondiscogenic sciatica syndrome but this is very rare with a paucity of documentation 17 , where in one case report, the muscle was found to be hyperemic and tightly compressing the sciatic nerve. Another unusual muscular cause of nondiscogenic sciatica syndrome was confirmed due to the dynamic motion of obturator internus (Murata et al) 18 and rupture of quadratus femoris muscle after trauma has also been recognized 19 .…”

Extra-spinal sciatica and sciatica mimics: a scoping review

“…In our recent study, an example of extra-spinal sciatica, namely PS, was seen almost with equal frequency both in men and women, being slightly more common in housewives [ 7 ]. Sciatica also is reported as emerging from pathology in the vicinity of the inferior gemellus muscle, such as hip adductor muscle tear(s), wallet neuritis, ossified bone tissue (hip/femur), piriformis pyomyositis, SN endometriosis, SN tumor, malignant invasion to SN, and cluneal nerve disorder [ 8 - 12 ]. Amongst others, osteitis condensans ilii (OCI), inflammatory sacroiliitis, referred pain from the quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle, myofascial pain syndrome, meralgia paraesthetica, gluteal medius (GME) tendinitis, post-injectional gluteal neuropathy, also mimic sciatica [ 7 , 13 , 14 ].…”