The incongruous hip joint. A casting study.
A casting method for measuring the intra-articular space in the loaded hip is described. The results of tests on 22 hips from 22 cadavers show that the joint space is variable both in location and size and can disappear under light loads. It seems likely that the size and shape of the space influence how much access synovial fluid has for lubrication and nutrition.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000502:physiology