How does a normal hip look?

The hip joint is essentially a ball and socket joint which allows movements of the hip. A large part of the ball is covered by the socket. This differs from the shoulder joint where only a small part of the ball is covered by the socket. Therefore the hip joint has less range of motion with more stability than the shoulder joint. The hip joint has an important role in weight bearing and allows ambulation. The bone ends of a joint (ball and socket) are covered with a smooth layer called cartilage.