The human hip consists of a ball-and-socket joint. The socket is formed by a part of the pelvis bone called the acetabulum. The ball is the femoral head, which is the upper portion of the femur, otherwise known as the thighbone.

A concave surface of the pelvis, the acetabulum is met by the head of the femur forming the hip. It is ringed by sturdy fibrocartilage called the labrum which acts like a gasket around the socket. Articular cartilage, a tissue that is lubricated by a film of synovial fluid, lines the surface of the ball and socket to create a cushion between the bones so that they glide across each other without friction.

The joint is held together by connective bands of tissue called ligaments. 

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