Hip Anatomy

The human hip connects our lower limbs to our spinal column and provides a wide range of motion, supports the weight of the trunk, and transmits force to provide stable mobility.

It plays a critical role in nearly every movement we make - whether walking, running, sitting, or standing. In addition to facilitating motion, the hip joint contributes to maintaining posture and balance, absorbing impact forces, and enabling efficient energy transfer through the kinetic chain. Its complex structure, which includes muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, is designed for both strength and flexibility, making it one of the most durable and essential joints in the human body.

To gain a deeper understanding of hip anatomy, our collection of anatomical charts and posters provides clear, detailed illustrations that will enrich your learning experience. Whether you’re a student, lecturer, or healthcare professional, these visual tools can help make complex concepts easier to understand.

The bones of the hip include the femur (thigh bone) and the pelvic girdle. The head of the femur (the ball) inserts into the acetabulum (the socket), which is part of the pelvis. The acetabulum is formed by three bones fused together: the ilium, ischium, and pubis. These bones come together during development to create a strong, cup-shaped socket that securely houses the head of the femur, allowing for both stability and a wide range of movement.

The ilium is the largest and uppermost part of the pelvis, characterised by its broad, fan-like shape. It provides attachment for several key muscles of the trunk and lower limbs. The ischium forms the lower and back part of the hip bone; it bears the body's weight when sitting. The pubis, located at the front of the pelvis, plays a role in stabilising the pelvis and supports the bladder and reproductive organs.

Together, these three bones not only form the structure of the hip joint but also contribute to the overall stability and function of the lower body. The fusion of these bones into a single unit ensures a solid foundation for bipedal movement and effective force transmission from the torso to the legs.

The hip is a ball-and-socket synovial joint. This type of joint allows for a large range of motion. A strong fibrous joint capsule surrounds the hip joint, keeping it stable. The capsule is thickest at the front-top part of the joint, where most force is applied, and thinner at the back-bottom part of the hip joint.

The hip joint provides movement in three different axes, allowing for flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation. All of these motions are essential for everyday activities such as walking, running, and sitting.

The iliopsoas group consists of the iliacus and the psoas major. The iliacus is a large triangular-shaped muscle sitting in the iliac fossa, the concave upper region of the pelvis. The psoas major is a long, thick muscle connecting to the iliacus to form the iliopsoas group. These are our inner hip muscles, responsible for flexing the trunk and thigh and providing external rotation of the thigh. The psoas minor, while not part of the iliopsoas group, has a similar function to the psoas major.

The rear and outer region of the thigh contains the gluteal muscles, which have both superficial and deep layers.

• Superficial layer: Includes the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae. These muscles extend, abduct, adduct, and provide internal and external rotation of the joint.
• Deep layer: Includes the piriformis, gemellus superior, obturator internus, gemellus inferior, obturator externus, and quadratus femoris. These muscles help stabilize the head of the femur and assist in abduction and external rotation of the thigh.

The hip adductors, located in the inner thigh, include the gracilis, pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and adductor minimus. These muscles adduct the hip and thigh, playing a key role in balance and movement.

Our highly detailed anatomical hip models provide a clear representation of the bones, muscles, and ligaments of the hip joint. These models help visualise joint movement and the key structures involved in hip function, making them an excellent learning and teaching tool for students, educators, and healthcare professionals.

Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body. The primary blood supply of the hip comes from the medial and lateral circumflex arteries , branches of the profunda femoris (deep artery of the thigh). These arteries form the periarticular anastomosis , a network of vessels that ensure consistent blood flow even if one vessel is damaged. The retinacular branches supply blood to the neck of the femur, while the foveal artery, a branch of the obturator artery, provides blood to the head of the femur.

Nerves carry messages to and from the brain, allowing for sensation and movement. The hip joint is innervated by:

• Femoral nerve: Supplies the muscles at the front of the thigh and the hip joint.
• Obturator nerve: Innervates the adductor muscles.
• Superior gluteal nerve: Innervates the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae.

Understanding the structure and function of the hip is much easier with high-quality visual tools. Our range of anatomical models, posters, and study guides helps students and professionals better grasp the complexities of hip anatomy. Whether you’re studying for an exam, teaching a class, or working in a clinical setting, our resources offer a practical and engaging way to explore human anatomy.