Structure and Function of the Hip, Case Study Example

The hip joint is a ball-and-socket type of joint which is formed at the point where the thigh bone which is known as the femur meets the pelvis. The femur is a distal component with a concave femoral head facing the anterior and superior part of the body while the pelvis is a concave acetabulum that faces the anterior but inferior part of the joint. The acetabulum is the socket in the pelvis and it is formed by three innominate bones which include; the ilium which is at the rear position, the ischium found at the lower front and the pubis found above the ischium (Anderson, Bhatti, Foley & Charney, 2008).
The thighbone consists of a ball-shaped knob at the end which fits into a socket formed in the hipbone. Both the acetabulum and the head of the femur are lined by a smooth cushion of shiny white articular cartilage known as the hyaline cartilage, this provides a smooth surface for the moving bones to enable them glide past each other, it also acts as a flexible shock absorber and prevents the collision of the bones during movement. In between the layers of the hyaline cartilage there are synovial membranes which secrete watery synovial fluid that lubricate the joint capsule (Anderson, Bhatti, Foley & Charney, 2008).
The main function of the hip joint is to carry the weight of the body, this is because it is one of the largest joints in the body, it provides stability for weight bearing such as standing, walking and running. The hip joint also allows the movement of the legs in space and helps to transmit the loads from the upper body to the high and then to the lower leg (Levangie & Norkin, 2005).

References

Anderson, D., Bhatti, M., Foley, C., & Charney, F. (2008). Crossing borders page 76 (1st ed.). [Reston, Va.]: American Society of Civil Engineers .

Understanding Joints: A Practical Guide to Their Structure …
Levangie, P., & Norkin, C. (2005). Joint structure and function page 84 (1st ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Co.