Hip joint movements

Neelam Maurya

8 years ago

HIP JOINT MOVEMENTS

Motion of the Pelvis on the Femur:

Whenever the hip joint is weight-bearing, the femur is relatively fixed, and, in fact motion of the hip joint is produced by movement of the pelvis on the femur.

Anterior and Posterior Pelvic Tilt

Anterior and posterior pelvic tilt are motions of the entire pelvic ring in the sagittal plane around a coronal axis.

Anterior and posterior tilting of the pelvis on the fixed femur results hip flexion and extension, respectively.

1. Anterior Pelvic Tilt:

2. Posterior Pelvic Tilt:

3. Lateral Pelvic Tilt:

Lateral pelvic tilt is a frontal plane motion of the entire pelvis around an anteroposterior axis.
If a person stands on the left limb and hikes the pelvis, the left hip joint is being abducted because the medial angle between the femur and a line through the ASISs increases.
If a person stands on the left leg and drops the pelvis, the left hip joint will adduct because the medial angle formed by the femur and a line through the ASISs will decrease.

Anterior and Posterior Pelvic Rotation:

Pelvic rotation is motion of the entire pelvic ring in the transverse plane around a vertical axis.
Occurs in both unilateral and bilateral stance.

1. Forward rotation of the pelvis

occurs in unilateral stance when the side of the pelvis opposite to the supporting hip joint moves anteriorly.
Forward rotation of the pelvis produces medial rotation of the supporting hip joint.

2. Backward rotation of the pelvis

occurs when the side of the pelvis opposite the supporting hip moves posteriorly.
Posterior rotation of the pelvis produces lateral rotation of the supporting hip joint.

Movements and Muscles

The movements that can be carried out at the hip joint are listed below, along with the principle muscles responsible for each action:

Hip joint Movement	Chief muscles	Accessory muscles
Abductors of hip	Gluteus medius Gluteus minimus	Sartorius Tensor fascia latae
Adductors of hip	Adductor longus, brevis and magnus	Pectineus Gracilis
Lateral rotators of hip	Externus obturator Internus obturator superior and inferior gemelli Quadratus femoris	Piriformis Sartorius Gluteus maximus
Medial rotators of hip	Tensor fascia latae Gluteus medius Gluteus minimus
Extensors	Gluteus maximus Hamstrings
Flexors	Psoas major Iliacus (ileopsoas)	Pectinius Rectus femoris Sartorius Adductor longus

The degree to which flexion at the hip can occur depends on whether the knee is flexed – this relaxes the hamstring muscles, and increases the range of flexion.
Extension at the hip joint is limited by the joint capsule and the iliofemoral ligament. These structures become taut during extension to limit further movement
Tensor fasciae latae causes Abduction of hip , Flexion of hip, Extension of knee.

Trendelenburg test

It measures the stability of hip joint when a person stands on one foot with the opposite foot raised from the ground, as in walking.
It is mainly dependent on the abductors of hip, chiefly gluteus medius & minimus.
Normally, when the body weight is supported on one limb, gluteus medius & minimus of the supported side raise the opposite & unsuppoted side of pelvis.
In positive trendelenburg’s sign, the pelvis sags downwards on unsupported side when a person is standing on one leg.
This is due to paralysis of abductors of hip (gluteus medius & minimus), which are supplied by superior gluteal nerve.

Exam Question

Gluteus maximus, piriformis, obturator internus, obturator externus, quadratus femoris, superior gemellus, and inferior gemellus are responsible for external rotation of the hip
Gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and the deep gluteals are abductors of thighs
Tensor fasciae latae causes Abduction of hip , Flexion of hip, Extension of knee
Iliopsoas, rectus femoris, sartorius are muscles causing flexion
Iliofemoral ligaments limits extension at the hip joint
Medial rotation and Abduction is caused by Gluteus medius and Gluteus minimus

Don’t Forget to Solve all the previous Year Question asked on Hip joint movements