Hip bone (parts) (English)

Three primary bones fuse together to form the hip bone, the ilium, ischium and pubis. All three bones meet at the acetabulum.The ilium is the largest of the three hip bone components and is located superior to both the ischium and pubis. The body of the ilium forms its inferior portion, fusing with the ischium and pubis at the acetabulum. Its upper part forms the wing, or ala, of the ilium. The pubis is the smallest of the three bones. It is positioned on the anterior aspect of the pelvic girdle and articulates with its fellow at the pubic symphysis. The pubis consists of a body from which two projections extend: the superior and inferior pubic rami (note: some references alternatively describe the body of the pubis as the part which contributes to the acetabulum). The ischium, sometimes called the “sitting bone”, is the inferoposterior component of the hip bone. Superiorly, the body of the ischium meets the body of the ilium and superior ramus of the pubis, while inferiorly the ramus arches anteriorly to meet the inferior pubic ramus forming the ischiopubic ramus. This arch forms the inferior boundary of the obturator foramen.