ABSTRACT
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint acting as the fulcrum of a lever
system and is the primary link between the trunk and the lower
extremities. The hip is a complex anatomic structure composed
of osseous, ligamentous, and muscular structures responsible for
transferring the weight of the body from the axial skeleton into
the lower extremities and forces from the ground in the opposite
direction. This must be accomplished while allowing for dynamic
loading during activities such as gait and balance. Consequently this
joint is crucial to athletic activities in which it is often exposed to
many greater than normal axial and torsional forces.
