Head of the femurThe ball of the joint, at the top of the thigh bone.
AcetabulumThe cup-shaped socket in the hip bone. The ilium, the ischium and the pubis all meet in it.
Articular cartilageA smooth layer on the head and inside the socket. It is thickest where the joint bears weight.
Acetabular labrumA rim of fibrocartilage that deepens the socket.
Joint capsuleA strong sleeve from the rim of the acetabulum to the femur. Three ligaments thicken its outer surface.
Joint cavityThe space enclosed by the joint capsule.
Ligament of the head of the femurA small ligament inside the joint. It runs from the fovea to the acetabular fossa, and a small artery to the head runs in it.
Fovea capitisA small pit on the head with no cartilage. The ligament of the head attaches here.
Transverse acetabular ligamentA band that bridges the notch in the socket's lower rim.
Neck of the femurThe narrower bone that joins the head to the shaft.
Greater trochanterA large bump on the outer side of the femur. The ischiofemoral ligament reaches it.
Ligaments 3
Iliofemoral ligamentThe strongest of the three, on the front. Shaped like a Y, it stops the hip bending too far back.
Pubofemoral ligamentRuns from the pubis to the femur, low on the front. It limits how far the thigh swings out and back.
Ischiofemoral ligamentRuns from the ischium, behind the joint, toward the greater trochanter. It winds over the neck in a spiral.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 in at least two of these. (1) Wikipedia, English edition, Hip, Acetabular labrum and Ligament of head of femur, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetabular_labrum, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligament_of_head_of_femur (the ball-and-socket joint between the acetabulum and the femoral head; the labrum, a fibrocartilaginous ring that seals the joint cavity; the capsule and the iliofemoral, pubofemoral and ischiofemoral ligaments; the transverse acetabular ligament; the ligament of the head from the fovea; neck and greater trochanter). (2) TeachMeAnatomy, The Hip Joint, https://teachmeanatomy.info/lower-limb/joints/hip-joint/ (acetabulum and head of femur covered in articular cartilage, thicker where weight is borne; acetabular labrum; capsule from the edge of the acetabulum to the femoral neck; the ligament of the head from the acetabular fossa to the fovea, with an artery; the three outer ligaments, their shapes and what each limits). (3) Kenhub, Hip joint, https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/hip-joint (head of the femur and fovea capitis; acetabulum formed by the ilium, ischium and pubis; acetabular labrum continued below as the transverse ligament across the acetabular notch; joint capsule and joint cavity; the three capsular ligaments). (4) Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body (1918), Coxal Articulation or Hip-joint, https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/anatomy-of-the-human-body/7-articulations-of-the-lower-extremity-a-coxal-articulation-or-hip-joint/ (articular capsule, iliofemoral, pubocapsular and ischiocapsular ligaments, ligamentum teres, transverse acetabular ligament, the labrum under its older name). Detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The top drawing is the hip joint cut from side to side through its middle. The bottom one is the closed joint from the front and from the back. Together they hold the anatomical features of the coxal joint, the hip's formal name.
Read the full guide
Inside the joint, then its ligaments
Numbers 1 to 11 are in the section: the head of the femur, the acetabulum, the articular cartilage, the acetabular labrum, the joint capsule, the joint cavity, the ligament of the head of the femur, the fovea capitis, the transverse acetabular ligament, the neck of the femur and the greater trochanter. Numbers 12 to 14 are on the closed joint: the iliofemoral and pubofemoral ligaments from the front, and the ischiofemoral ligament from the back.
Each outer ligament is named for the two bones it joins: ilium, pubis or ischium, then femur.
Hip joint and coxal joint are the same joint; an exercise may use either name.
Questions and answers
What is the coxal joint?
The hip joint: the ball-and-socket joint between the head of the femur and the acetabulum of the hip bone. Coxal comes from coxa, the Latin for hip.
What are the three ligaments of the hip joint?
The iliofemoral, the pubofemoral and the ischiofemoral ligaments. All three thicken the outside of the joint capsule. The iliofemoral, on the front, is the strongest and is shaped like a Y.
What does the acetabular labrum do?
It deepens the socket. The labrum is a ring of fibrocartilage fixed to the rim of the acetabulum, so the cup holds more of the head of the femur and the joint cavity is sealed.
What goes where in an art labeling activity on the anatomical structure of the hip joint?
In a section, start with the ball and cup: head of the femur and acetabulum. Then the thin layers between them, the articular cartilage; the labrum at the rim; and the capsule outside. The three long ligament names belong on the closed joint.