[The stress of the human hip joint. VII. The distribution of cartilage thickness in the acetabulum and its functional explanation (author's transl)].

The cartilage thickness of the human acetabulum was examined in 10 objects (material from the dissecting room). Cartilage specimens were taken at identical points of the joint and measured by microscope. The greatest thickness is situated in the outer joint edge, with a maximum in the frontal part of the joint roof; the lowest thickness is found at the inner margin of the facies lunata. These results indicate a higher stressing of the outer joint margin. This could be caused by an eccentric position of the hip joint's resultant force, which is shifted towards the edge. Another possible explanation of these results relates to a swelling of the joint cartilage under functional stress. Such a swelling, which has already been proved, would lead to an incongruence of the ball and socket joint, and so to a stronger stressing of the outer joint edge.