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Here is a short note on the Hip Joint, sourced from Gray's Anatomy for Students and S Das: A Manual on Clinical Surgery.

The Hip Joint

Type and Articulation

The hip joint is a synovial multiaxial ball-and-socket joint formed by the articulation of the spherical head of the femur with the acetabulum of the pelvic bone. It is designed primarily for stability and weight-bearing, trading some mobility for security.

Articular surfaces of the hip joint (A) and medial/lateral rotation of the femoral neck (B) - Gray's Anatomy for Students

Articular Surfaces

Head of the femur - spherical, covered by hyaline cartilage except at the fovea
Lunate surface of the acetabulum - covered by hyaline cartilage; broadest superiorly
The acetabular labrum (fibrocartilaginous collar) deepens the socket and increases stability; it bridges the acetabular notch inferiorly as the transverse acetabular ligament, converting the notch into a foramen

Ligaments

Three major extracapsular ligaments reinforce the fibrous capsule, all becoming taut in extension:

Fibrous membrane and ligaments of the hip joint - Gray's Anatomy for Students

Ligament	Position	Attachments
Iliofemoral (Y-ligament of Bigelow)	Anterior	AIIS/acetabular margin → intertrochanteric line
Pubofemoral	Anteroinferior	Iliopubic eminence → fibrous membrane/iliofemoral lig.
Ischiofemoral	Posterior	Ischium (posteroinferior to acetabulum) → greater trochanter

An intracapsular ligament - the ligament of the head of the femur - runs from the fovea to the acetabular fossa. It carries a branch of the obturator artery contributing to blood supply of the femoral head.

Movements

The hip joint permits:

Flexion and extension
Abduction and adduction
Medial and lateral rotation
Circumduction

The long neck of the femur and its angulation on the shaft must be considered when assessing rotational movements - muscles move the greater trochanter forward (medial rotation) or backward (lateral rotation) relative to the acetabulum.

Blood Supply

Branches from multiple vessels form a periarticular network:

Medial and lateral circumflex femoral arteries
Obturator artery (via ligament of head)
Superior and inferior gluteal arteries
First perforating branch of the deep artery of the thigh

Nerve Supply

Articular branches from:

Femoral nerve
Obturator nerve
Superior gluteal nerve
Nerve to quadratus femoris

Clinical Points (from Das: Manual on Clinical Surgery)

Pain from hip disease is classically felt anteriorly and often radiates to the knee (shared innervation via femoral, obturator, and sciatic nerves) - a common clinical trap
Trendelenburg's test assesses the abductor mechanism; positive when abductors are weak or the fulcrum is lost (dislocation, coxa vara, fracture neck of femur)
Age of onset guides diagnosis: congenital dislocation (birth-5 yrs), Perthes' disease (5-10 yrs), slipped epiphysis (10-15 yrs), idiopathic osteoarthritis (>40 yrs)
Thomas' test detects fixed flexion deformity, which can be masked by compensatory lumbar lordosis

Sources: Gray's Anatomy for Students; S Das - A Manual on Clinical Surgery, 13th Ed.

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