What is hip dysplasia?

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. Hip dysplasia is a relatively common abnormality of the hip joint where the acetabulum (socket) does not adequately cover the femoral head (ball). The shallowness of the acetabulum causes the femoral head to exert excessive pressure on the rim of the acetabulum. If left untreated, this excess rim pressure can lead to hip pain, cartilage damage and eventual osteoarthritis.