Hip & Orthopedic Dictionary: A–Z Terms and Definitions

A surgical procedure that reshapes the rim of the hip socket to treat certain types of hip impingement.

The forward-facing orientation of the hip socket.

A condition in which the hip socket is too shallow to adequately cover and support the femoral head.

A ring of fibrocartilage around the hip socket that helps deepen the socket and stabilize the joint.

A condition in which the hip socket faces more backward than usual.

The outer edge of the hip socket where the labrum attaches.

The cup-shaped socket of the pelvis that forms the socket portion of the hip joint.

An injury to one or more muscles on the inside of the thigh.

Acetabular Labral Articular Disruption, a term describing damage involving the acetabular labrum and adjacent cartilage.

An imaging measurement used to evaluate the shape of the femoral head-neck junction and identify a CAM deformity.

Pain felt toward the front of the hip or groin, often associated with problems inside the hip joint.

Inflammation or degeneration of a joint that can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced function.

Excessive scar tissue formation that can restrict movement of a joint.

Surgery that reconstructs or replaces a damaged joint.

A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera and instruments to diagnose and treat problems inside the hip joint.

Smooth tissue covering the ends of bones that allows the hip joint to move with minimal friction.

Loss of blood supply to bone that can cause bone tissue to deteriorate, commonly affecting the femoral head.

One of the hamstring muscles located along the back of the thigh.

Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate, a preparation made from a patient's bone marrow that may be used as an orthopedic biologic treatment.

Increased fluid within bone marrow seen on MRI that may occur with injury, inflammation, or other conditions.

An extra growth of bone that can develop around a joint and sometimes contribute to pain or impingement.

Advanced cartilage loss in which the protective cartilage between joint surfaces is severely reduced or absent.

A small fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between bones, tendons, muscles, and other tissues.

Irritation or inflammation of a bursa that can cause pain around the hip.

An abnormal bony prominence at the femoral head-neck junction that can contribute to hip impingement.

A type of hip impingement caused by abnormal contact between the femur and hip socket.

Extra bone along the femoral head-neck junction associated with CAM-type impingement.

Surgical closure of the hip capsule after arthroscopy to help restore joint stability.

Insufficient or damaged hip capsule tissue that may contribute to instability.

Excessive looseness of the hip capsule that can contribute to hip instability.

A surgical technique that tightens the hip capsule to improve stability.

Injury or degeneration affecting the smooth cartilage that covers the surfaces of the hip joint.

A localized area of damaged or missing articular cartilage.

Damage to the cartilage covering a joint surface.

A procedure used to smooth or remove damaged cartilage.

A hip socket that extends relatively deeply into the pelvis and may be associated with certain forms of hip impingement.

An increased angle between the femoral neck and shaft of the femur.

A decreased angle between the femoral neck and shaft of the femur.

An imaging test that uses X-rays and computer processing to create detailed images of bones and joints.

Pain caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve in the deep gluteal region.

Another term for osteoarthritis, a condition involving gradual breakdown of joint cartilage.

Abnormal development of the hip joint in which the socket may be too shallow or the joint may be unstable.

Complete separation of the bones forming a joint.

A group of inherited connective tissue disorders that can affect joint stability and flexibility.

An abnormal accumulation of fluid within a joint.

A snapping sensation caused by a tendon moving over the outside of the hip.

Abnormal contact occurring outside the main hip joint that can cause pain or restricted movement.

Forward rotation of the femur that affects the orientation of the hip joint.

The ball-shaped upper end of the thigh bone that fits into the acetabulum.

The narrowed portion of the femur connecting the femoral head to the shaft.

A surgical procedure that reshapes the femoral head-neck junction, often to treat CAM impingement.

Backward rotation of the femur that changes the orientation of the hip joint.

The rotational orientation of the femur that affects hip mechanics.

A condition in which abnormal contact between the femur and acetabulum causes hip pain and may damage the labrum or cartilage.

Symptomatic hip impingement associated with pain and restricted hip movement.

A condition in which a joint cannot fully straighten because of tightness or structural restriction.

A break or crack in a bone.

Degeneration or irritation of the gluteal tendons, commonly causing pain on the outside of the hip.

A major hip muscle that helps stabilize the pelvis and move the leg away from the body.

A partial or complete tear of the gluteus medius tendon.

A small hip muscle that assists with hip movement and stabilization.

A partial or complete tear of the gluteus minimus tendon.

A bony prominence on the outside of the upper femur where several muscles and tendons attach.

A condition causing pain on the outside of the hip, often involving the gluteal tendons and surrounding tissues.

Pain felt in the area between the abdomen and upper inner thigh that can originate from the hip joint.

A group of muscles that move the leg away from the body's midline and help stabilize the pelvis.

Minimally invasive surgery used to diagnose and treat problems inside the hip joint.

Degeneration or inflammation of the hip joint that can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility.

A layer of connective tissue surrounding the hip joint that helps provide stability.

A condition in which the hip socket does not adequately cover the femoral head.

A group of muscles that helps lift the thigh toward the body.

Abnormal contact between structures of the hip that can cause pain and damage to the labrum or cartilage.

Excessive movement or looseness of the hip joint that may cause pain, slipping, or a feeling that the hip is giving way.

A tear in the ring of cartilage surrounding the hip socket.

Wear and degeneration of the cartilage within the hip joint.

Pain occurring in or around the hip that may come from the joint, muscles, tendons, bones, or nearby structures.

Treatment focused on preserving the natural hip joint and delaying or preventing the need for joint replacement.

Surgery that replaces damaged portions of the hip joint with artificial components.

A type of joint replacement that preserves more of the femoral bone by placing a metal covering over the femoral head.

Partial movement of the femoral head out of its normal position within the acetabulum.

A major hip flexor muscle formed by the iliacus and psoas muscles.

Irritation or inflammation of the bursa located near the iliopsoas tendon.

Irritation caused by contact between the iliopsoas tendon and structures around the hip joint.

Inflammation or irritation of the iliopsoas tendon.

A snapping sensation caused by the iliopsoas tendon moving over structures at the front of the hip.

An injection delivered directly into a joint, often for diagnosis or treatment.

A condition in which the space between the ischium and femur becomes narrowed and irritates surrounding tissues.

Hip pain and symptoms caused by narrowing of the ischiofemoral space.

Irritation involving the iliotibial band that can cause pain around the outside of the hip or knee.

An abnormal buildup of fluid within the hip joint.

Excessive movement of a joint caused by insufficient stability from the bones, ligaments, capsule, or surrounding tissues.

The space between the bones of a joint that normally contains cartilage and joint fluid.

A reduction in the space between the bones of a joint, often indicating cartilage loss.

The study of movement, including the position and motion of the hip joint.

The study of human movement and how muscles, joints, and other structures work together.

A procedure that reinforces a damaged hip labrum using additional tissue.

A surgical procedure that replaces a severely damaged or irreparable labrum with graft tissue.

Surgery that restores a torn hip labrum by securing it back to the acetabular rim.

A tear in the cartilage ring surrounding the hip socket.

An X-ray measurement used to evaluate how much of the femoral head is covered by the acetabulum.

Pain felt on the outside of the hip, often involving the gluteal tendons or bursa.

A ligament inside the hip joint that connects the femoral head to the acetabulum.

A partial or complete tear of the ligamentum teres.

A piece of bone, cartilage, or other tissue that has broken loose and moves within the joint.

An imaging test that uses magnetic fields to create detailed pictures of soft tissues, cartilage, bone, and other structures.

Subtle excessive movement of the hip joint that may cause pain or a feeling of instability.

A surgical technique that creates small openings in damaged bone to stimulate a healing response for certain cartilage injuries.

A biologic tissue preparation derived from a patient's own fat tissue and used in some orthopedic treatments.

An injury involving overstretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon.

Compression or irritation of a nerve that can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.

Damage to a nerve that may cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.

Failure of a fractured bone to heal properly over time.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly used to reduce pain and inflammation.

Degeneration of joint cartilage and underlying bone that can cause pain and stiffness.

A surgical procedure that removes or reshapes abnormal bone and cartilage, commonly to treat hip impingement.

Death of bone tissue caused by an inadequate blood supply.

A bone spur that develops along the edge of a joint.

A surgical procedure that reshapes bone to improve the structure or function of a joint.

Biologic treatments derived from substances such as blood, bone marrow, or fat tissue that may be used to support healing.

A fragment or area of extra bone along the acetabular rim that may be associated with hip impingement or dysplasia.

A system used to describe the severity of cartilage damage.

A hip-preservation surgery that repositions the acetabulum to improve coverage of the femoral head in patients with certain types of hip dysplasia.

A type of hip impingement caused by excessive coverage of the femoral head by the acetabulum.

Extra bone or excessive coverage along the acetabular rim that can contribute to hip impingement.

A condition involving irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve near the piriformis muscle.

A preparation made from a patient's own blood containing a concentrated amount of platelets and growth factors.

Pain felt toward the back of the hip or buttock that can arise from the hip or surrounding structures.

A stage in which hip abnormalities or damage may cause symptoms before advanced arthritis develops.

Irritation or degeneration of the hamstring tendons where they attach near the pelvis.

The joint connecting the left and right sides of the pelvis at the front of the body.

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The amount a joint can move through its available range.

An area of medicine focused on treatments intended to support the body's natural healing and tissue-repair processes.

A structured program of exercises and other treatments designed to restore strength, mobility, and function after injury or surgery.

A second hip arthroscopy performed when symptoms persist or a previous procedure requires additional treatment.

Surgery performed to replace or repair components of a previous hip replacement.

Surgery that cuts and rotates bone to correct abnormal alignment or orientation.

A condition causing a snapping or clicking sensation around the hip during movement.

The layer of bone directly beneath the articular cartilage of a joint.

A fluid-filled area that develops within the bone beneath damaged cartilage, often associated with arthritis.

A type of hip impingement involving abnormal contact between the femur and the area near the anterior inferior iliac spine.

A procedure that removes inflamed or abnormal tissue from the lining of a joint.

A rare condition in which abnormal cartilage nodules develop within the joint lining.

Inflammation of the lining of a joint.

A small crack in a bone caused by repetitive stress or overuse.

A surgical technique that temporarily dislocates the hip to provide access to structures that are difficult to reach through standard approaches.

Inflammation or irritation of a tendon.

A condition involving degeneration or irritation of a tendon, often caused by repetitive stress.

An X-ray measurement used to evaluate the slope of the acetabular roof and assess hip dysplasia.

A grading system used to describe the severity of hip osteoarthritis on X-rays.

A technique used during hip arthroscopy to gently separate the femoral head from the acetabulum to provide access to the joint.

Inflammation or irritation of the bursa near the greater trochanter that can cause pain on the outside of the hip.

Surgery that replaces the damaged ball and socket of the hip with artificial components.

Another term for total hip arthroplasty, a surgery that replaces the damaged hip joint with an artificial joint.

An imaging technique that uses sound waves to evaluate muscles, tendons, fluid, and other soft tissues.

An injection performed using ultrasound imaging to guide the needle to a specific area.

An injection into or around the hip performed with ultrasound guidance to improve accuracy.

A condition in which reduced blood supply causes bone tissue to die; also called osteonecrosis or avascular necrosis.

The rotational orientation of the femur that affects how the hip moves and functions.

The rotational orientation of the hip socket.

Injection of a hyaluronic acid-based substance into a joint, primarily used in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The amount of body weight a patient is allowed to place through the affected leg after an injury or procedure.

Instructions limiting how much weight can be placed on the affected leg during recovery.

An imaging test that uses radiation to create pictures of bones and can show fractures, arthritis, alignment, and other hip abnormalities.

Hip pain occurring in adolescents or young adults, often related to conditions such as FAI, labral tears, dysplasia, or sports injuries.

Treatment focused on preserving the natural hip joint in younger patients with hip disorders.

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