Influence of the pelvic shape on the biomechanical status of the hip.

A simple static three-dimensional mathematical model of an adult human hip in one-legged position is used in order to estimate the resultant force of the hip muscles and the contact force in the hip joint for different pelvic shapes. The variation of pelvic shape was simulated by changing the components of the radius vectors of the muscle origins on the crista iliaca and by changing the interhip distance. It is concluded that the magnitudes of the hip muscle resultant force and the hip joint contact force are minimal for the high, laterally inclined pelvis with small interhip distance and maximal for the shallow, steep pelvis with great interhip distance.