The hip is a ball-and-socket type joint. The thigh bone (femur) has a ball-shaped knob on the end that fits into a socket formed in the hip bone. The hip joint is a major weight-bearing joint, supporting a stress load of up to five times your body weight when you are walking. It takes a good deal of force to seriously damage the hip. This is because the hip is surrounded by the large muscles of the thighs and the fact the the femur itself is the largest bone in the body.
ORTHOPAEDIC SERVICES FOR THE HIP