Muscles around the hip joint

Deep within the gluteal region is situated the hip joint. This is a ball and socket joint capable of movement in many directions.

To produce these movements there is a complex arrangement of muscles around the joint which either act on the thigh with respect to the thigh. It must be remembered that during many of these movements the hip joint is weight-bearing, transmitting the weight of the body above it, via the lower limbs, to the ground.

Thus, the muscles surrounding the joint have a dual role. They must be capable of immediate controlled power when needed for sudden powerful activities such as running uphill or upstairs, and yet retain the ability to maintain a set position for long periods of time as in standing, leaning forwards and even sitting.

The hip joint is surrounded on all sides by muscles, which are much thicker and stronger around the posterior and lateral aspects and consequently the joint appears to be situated near the front of the region.

Muscles anterior to the joint tend to be flexors, those posterior tend to be extensors, medially they tend to be adductors and laterally abductors. Both medial and lateral rotation occurs at this joint because of the obliquity of some of the muscle fibres. This is explained more fully under the individual muscles.

Some of the muscles in this region will have their effect on more than one joint. When this is the case, reference is made to the muscle in both regions, but details are only found in one section.