Bones of the Hip and Thigh Understanding the anatomy of the
pelvic girdle and thighs is important for knowing how people
walk and move; you can then diagnose a variety of ailments,
especially those related to exercise. The hip bones and the
thigh bones (or femurs) are large bones that support your upper
body, help you walk around, and support your back when you lift
things off the ground. Lucky you — you don’t have to memorize
too many bones in this region! The left and right hip (coxal)
bones, the sacrum, and the coccyx form the pelvic girdle, which
is the housing for the pelvic organs. The hip bones also form
the socket portion of the hip joint. Each hip bone is made up of
three parts — the ilium, the ischium, and the pubis. Head: A
ball-shaped feature at the proximal end of the bone, with a
fovea (or indentation) for the ligament of the head of the femur
Neck: Connects the head to the shaft Shaft: The long part of the
bone, with two large projections on the proximal end:
Intertrochanteric line: A ridge tha