The pelvic girdle is a set of bones that connects the spine to the lower limbs.

Position. Located at the junction of the trunk and lower limbs, the pelvic girdle, or girdle of the lower limb, makes up most of the pelvic skeleton (1).

Structure. The pelvic girdle is made up of the two hip or iliac bones, as well as the sacrum (1).

• Hip bone. The hip bone is an even bone made up of three bones fused together: the ilium, upper part of the hip bone, the pubis, antero-inferior part, as well as the ischium, postero-inferior part (2).
• Sacrum. The sacrum is made up of the five sacral vertebrae, welded together.

joints. The pelvic girdle is articulated at different points.

• Sacroiliac joint. The pelvic girdle is made up of two sacroiliac joints, positioned at the back and connecting the sacrum to the hip bones. Located on the upper part and behind the ilium, the atrial surface of the ilium articulates with the sacrum.
• Symphysis. Located at the front, it corresponds to the joint between the two hip bones.
• Coxofemoral joint. At the weld point between the three hip bones, an articular cavity is formed and called the acetabulum. The head of the femur, the thigh bone, is anchored in this cavity to form the hip joint, also called the coxofemoral joint.

Weight transmission. The pelvic belt transfers the weight from the upper body to the lower limbs (3).

Support of viscera. The pelvic girdle helps support the viscera present in the pelvis.

Muscle insertion zone. The pelvic girdle serves as an attachment area for many muscles of the trunk and lower limbs.

fractures. The pelvic girdle can suffer from fractures such as acetabulum fracture. These fractures are manifested in particular by pain in the hip.

Bone diseases. Certain bone pathologies can affect the pelvic girdle, such as osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone density and is generally found in people over the age of 60 (4).

Ankylosing spondylitis. This rheumatic inflammatory disease can affect the joints of the vertebrae, and more particularly the sacroiliac joints. It manifests itself by pain and stiffness in the pelvis.

Medical treatment. Depending on the pathology diagnosed, certain drugs may be prescribed to reduce pain.

Orthopedic treatment. Depending on the type of fracture, the installation of a plaster or a resin may be carried out.

Surgical treatment. Depending on the pathology and its evolution, a surgical intervention may be implemented.

Physical treatment. Physical therapy, through specific exercise programs, can be prescribed such as physiotherapy or physiotherapy.

Physical examination. First, a clinical examination is performed to identify painful movements.

Medical imaging exam. Depending on the suspected or proven pathology, additional examinations can be performed such as an X-ray, an ultrasound, a CT scan, an MRI, a scintigraphy or even a bone densitometry.

Medical analysis. In order to identify certain pathologies, blood or urine analyzes can be carried out such as, for example, the dosage of phosphorus or calcium.

The term “hip pointer” is an expression commonly used by sports presenters in Anglo-Saxon countries to designate pain or injury in the hip (5).