Hip bone sacroiliac joint. Each hip bone is connected to the corresponding femur (thigh bone) (forming the primary connection between the bones of the lower limb and the axial skeleton) through the large ball and socket joint of the hip. The hip bone is formed by three parts: ilium, ischium, and pubis. At birth, these three components are separated by hyaline cartilage. They join each other in a Y-shaped portion of cartilage in the acetabulum. By the end of puberty the three regions will have fused together, and by the age of 25 they will have ossified. The two hip bones join
Hip replacement (animal) condition, since they are irreversible and carry risk. Conditions such as hip dysplasia and arthritis can often be treated with appropriate medications that help the body handle pain, inflammation, or joint wear and tear. Animals which are prospective candidates for hip replacement should have no other spinal, neural, or rear leg abnormalities, in order to be significantly helped by a hip joint procedure. Since the reduced joint mobility seen in conditions such as dysplasia may result in loss of muscle mass and quality as a dog ages, there is often an advantage in having hip replacement whilst the dog is