Glossary of Terms

Hamstrings

• Muscles found on the back side of the thigh; attach the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shinbone) at the back of the knee.

Hematoma

• A mass of usually clotted blood that forms in a tissue, organ, or body space as a result of a broken blood vessel.

Hip

• Region on each side of the pelvis; it is made up of three sections: ilium, ischium and pubis; the upper part of the femur (thighbone) fits into the hip via a ball-and-socket joint; the socket is the cup-shaped bone of the pelvis called the acetabulum and the ball is the head of the femur.

Hip replacement

• Also called total hip replacement; surgical procedure to remove and replace the arthritic or damaged hip joint with an artificial joint, called a prosthesis; hip replacement surgery may be considered only after other treatment options have failed to provide adequate relief from pain or disability.

Hyaluronan

• A prescribed fluid, that is similar to the synovial fluid that occurs naturally in the knee; it is injected into the knee to help decrease pain and increase the cushioning and lubrication of the synovial fluid in the knee that has become osteoarthritic.