Articular capsule of hip joint

Looks like

A thick fibrous sleeve from the rim of the hip socket to the base of the femoral neck, reinforced by three spiral ligaments.

What it does

Keeps the ball in the socket and holds joint fluid; it tightens when the hip straightens, which locks us upright.

Keeping it well

Stiffens in arthritis, limiting inward rotation first. Swelling inside it after a fall can signal a fracture; a hot swollen hip with fever is an emergency.

Related conditions

• Avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis)
• Bone metastases and spinal cord compression
• Developmental dysplasia of the hip
• Gout
• Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
• Lyme disease
• Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
• Osteoarthritis
• Perthes disease
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Septic arthritis
• Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Temporomandibular joint disorder