Buttock Injection Model

Quick Answer: The buttock injection model is a training model of the adult buttock and hip used to practise intramuscular (IM) injections. Nursing and medical students use it to locate the gluteal injection sites by their bony landmarks and to practise needle angle, insertion and technique before injecting patients.

Finding a Safe Gluteal Injection Site

The main reason for practising on a buttock injection model is to learn where not to inject. The sciatic nerve runs through the buttock, and the traditional dorsogluteal site in the upper outer quadrant lies close enough to it and to the superior gluteal vessels that injury is a recognised risk. Many nursing curricula now teach the ventrogluteal site on the side of the hip as the preferred gluteal site, because it lies away from major nerves and vessels and has a thick muscle layer.

The ventrogluteal site is found by landmarks rather than by eye: the heel of the hand on the greater trochanter, the index finger on the anterior superior iliac spine and the middle finger spread back along the iliac crest, with the injection given in the V between the fingers. A model with palpable bony points lets students repeat this hand placement until it is automatic, and rehearse the Z-track technique, near-perpendicular insertion, aspiration where local policy requires it, and slow injection.

Injection models usually have a skin layer over a softer, muscle-like interior that accepts repeated needle entries, and some include indicators for correct placement. Which features this model has, whether it shows one side or both and whether the skin is replaceable are not stated in the title and should be confirmed.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Inject only water or the maker’s recommended fluid into the buttock injection model, and drain it afterwards if it has a reservoir so the interior does not grow mould.
• Rotate injection points across the practice area; repeated entries in one spot wear holes in the skin.
• Dispose of every needle in a sharps container, even in a skills lab.
• Store the model dry and covered, away from heat that can soften the skin.

Applications

• Intramuscular injection practicals in nursing, midwifery and medical courses
• Teaching landmarking for the ventrogluteal and dorsogluteal sites
• Practising the Z-track technique and safe sharps disposal
• Refresher sessions for staff who give deep IM or depot injections

Why Choose LabEquip

Nursing schools and hospital education teams buy injection models so students can repeat the landmarking sequence until it is second nature. LabEquip lists this model in its biology lab products with the I.V. training arm for venous access practice; send quantities through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which gluteal site is safer, ventrogluteal or dorsogluteal?

The ventrogluteal site is generally preferred because it lies away from the sciatic nerve and the superior gluteal vessels and has a thick, consistent muscle layer. The dorsogluteal site is still taught for recognition, but many curricula advise avoiding it.

How do you locate the ventrogluteal site?

Place the heel of the hand on the greater trochanter, the index finger on the anterior superior iliac spine and spread the middle finger back along the iliac crest. The injection goes into the centre of the V formed between the two fingers.

What is the Z-track technique?

The skin and tissue over the site are pulled to one side before the needle goes in, then released after the needle is withdrawn. This leaves a zigzag path that seals the medicine in the muscle and reduces leakage and skin staining.

At what angle is an intramuscular injection given?

Close to 90 degrees to the skin, so the needle passes straight through the fat layer into the muscle. Needle length is chosen according to the patient’s build and the site.

Why is the sciatic nerve a concern?

It is the largest nerve in the body and runs through the lower, inner part of the buttock. An injection placed too low or too close to the midline can injure it, causing pain, weakness or numbness in the leg.

Can the model be used with real medications?

No. Use only water or training fluid. Real medicines can damage the model and must never be used outside patient care, and every needle used in training should go straight into a sharps container.

Last Updated: September 2026