Hip Replacement Surgeon in Mumbai

Bones and Joints of the Hip

The hip joint is referred to as the junction where the hip joins the leg to the trunk of the body. It consists of two bones: the thighbone or femur and the pelvis, which is further made up of three bones that are known as ilium, ischium, and pubis.

The femoral head makes the ball of the hip joint while the acetabulum forms the socket. The acetabulum is a deep, round socket that is formed on the outer edge of the pelvis by the fusion of three bones: ilium, ischium, and pubis. The pubis attaches the lower part of the ilium, and the ischium is present at the back of the pubis. The hip becomes stable by the acetabulum, muscles, and ligaments that surround the hip joint.

The Hip Replacement Surgeon in Mumbai further explains that within the acetabulum, the head of the femur rotates and glides. To the acetabulum, a fibrocartilaginous lining called the labrum is attached, which causes the increased depth of the socket.

The femur or the thighbone is the largest bone in the body. Its upper part comprises the femoral head, femoral neck, and the two protrusions called greater and lesser trochanters which serve as sites of muscle attachment. The formation of Hip joint takes place when the head of the femur joins the acetabulum.

The weight-bearing bones of our body are covered by a slippery, white tissue known as Articular cartilage. It is lubricated with a synovial fluid that enables easy and smooth movements of the bones.

Ligaments of the Hip Joint

Ligaments are fibrous connective tissues that attach one bone to another. Ligaments encircle the hip joint and form a fibrous structure around the joint capsule, thereby making it stable. The ligaments adjoining the hip joint include:

• Iliofemoral ligament: It is a Y-shaped ligament that connects the femoral head to the pelvis at the face of the joint. This ligament helps in limiting over-extension of the hip.
• Pubofemoral ligament: It is a triangular-shaped ligament that is present on the inferior side of the joint. It extends between the iliofemoral ligament and the upper portion of the pubis. This ligament joins the femoral head to the pubis.
• Ischiofemoral ligament: This ligament is a triangular band of strong fibers that are on the posterior side of the hip joint.
• Ligamentum teres: Ligamentum teres are described as the small ligament that is extended from the femoral head to the pelvis or acetabulum. Though it has no significant role in hip movement, it has a small artery that carries blood to the femoral head.
• Acetabular labrum : Acetabular labrum is a soft-tissue structure that lines the acetabular rim of the hip joint. It stabilizes and strengthens the socket by deepening the cavity.

Muscles and Tendons of the Hip Joint

A long tendon called the iliotibial tract runs along the femur from the hip to the knee and serves as a site for attachment of several hip muscles that are described below:

• Gluteal: Gluteal muscles, also known as glutes, are made up of three muscles that form the buttock. Glutes attach to the back end of the pelvis and find their insertion into the greater trochanter that is present in the femur.
• Adductors: Adductors are the muscles that are present in the thighs. As the name suggests, they help in adduction, which can be described as the movement of pulling the leg back towards the midline.
• Iliopsoas: Iliopsoas muscle is present at the front of the hip joint and is known to provide flection. It originates from the lower back and pelvis and extends up to the inner top surface of the femur.
• Rectus femoris: This is the longest band of muscles located in front of the thigh. They are also called hip flexors.
• Hamstring muscles: These muscles start at the bottom of the pelvis and run down the back of the thigh. They assist in the extension of the hip by pulling it back as they cross the back of the hip joint.

Nerves and Arteries of the Hip Joint

Nerves of the hip carry signals from the brain to the muscles, thereby making the hip movement possible. They also transfer the sensory signals such as pain, temperature, and touch back to the brain. The most important nerves in the hip region are the femoral nerve and sciatic nerve. The femoral nerve is present in the front of the femur, while the sciatic nerve is at the back. There is also an Obturator nerve in the hip, which provides sensory and motor innervation to the thigh.

In addition to these nerves, there are also blood vessels that carry blood to the lower limbs. For example, the femoral artery, one of the longest arteries in the body, arises deep in the pelvis and can be felt in front of the upper thigh.

Hip Movements

Hip movements include flexion, extension, adduction, abduction circumduction, and hip rotation. All the anatomical parts of the hip work together to enable these movements. If you have been experiencing problems with hip movements for a long time, you can consult Dr. Abhijeet Savadekar, the best Hip Replacement Surgeon in Mumbai. A Hip Replacement Surgery in Mumbai is a surgical procedure that restores hip mobility by replacing the broken or damaged head of the femur bone with an artificial device. The goal of the surgery is to relieve pain and improve function.