Bones of the hip joint
The femur connects to the pelvis at the acetabulum, making up the hip joint. The acetabulum is lined with a tissue called the labrum, which helps to support the hip joint as it moves and supports our body weight.
Fun fact: The hip transmits forces as large as 1.3-5.8 x body weight during walking and 4.5 x body weight during running.
The hip supports the body during static and dynamic movements. Similar to the shoulder, the hip is meant to be very mobile. This means that it also requires support from the surrounding muscles and ligaments to maintain correct alignment of the joint.
*Click on the images below to view the muscles of the hip.
Posterior view
Anterior view
Deeper muscles surrounding the hip
NOTE: the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals are actually groups of multiple muscles:
- Quadriceps: rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius.
- Hamstrings: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris.
- Gluteals: gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. (There are other muscles in this area that are sometimes grouped with the gluteals when cueing for muscle activation, such as the piriformis, which can be viewed in the images above).
Fun fact: The iliotibial (IT) band is not a muscle. It is a thick band of connective tissue that connects the tensor fasciae latae muscle to the knee. Even though it is not a muscle, it can still become tight and put an athlete at risk for injury. Stretching of the IT band is almost impossible because it is so thick, which is why the foam roller is used to help work out any tightness after.
Major muscles surrounding the hip, categorized by function:
- Flexion: rectus femoris, iliopsoas, tensor fasciae latae and adductor longus.
- Extension: gluteus maximus, hamstrings and adductor magnus.
- Abduction: tensor fasciae latae, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
- Adduction: adductors (magnus, longus, brevis) and gracilis.
- Internal Rotation: piriformis, tensor fasciae latae, gluteus medius and minimus.
- External Rotation: piriformis, gluteus maximus, medius and minimus.
Note: the piriformis externally rotates the hip from 0-90 degrees, but internally rotates the hip when it is flexed past 90 degrees. Gluteus medius and minimus internally rotate when the hip is extended, and externally rotate when the hip is flexed past 90 degrees.
Glute Exercise Video including:
1. Single leg bridges: bring your foot close to your butt and push up through your hip
2. Clams: keep hips, knees and heels stacked on top of each other
3. Reverse clams: same as clams, but lift up your foot instead of your knee.
* remember to keep good midline stabilization with all of these, doing sets of 10-20 on each side.
Hip mobility videos from Kelly Starrett:
Posterior hip capsule for deadlift and squat
Created by: Missy Albrecht DPT, CSCS, FMS
Reference: Dutton, Mark. Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention. Second edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2008: 841-931.
