The femoral head forms a ball-and-socket joint with the ______.

• A. Acetabulum
• B. Tibial plateau
• C. Glenoid cavity
• D. Mandible

Answer: (A)

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint formed when the femoral head fits into the acetabulum, a deep socket in the pelvis. This configuration lets the thigh move in many directions—flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and rotation—while still providing stability to support the body's weight. The acetabulum is the socket part of the joint that receives the rounded femoral head.

The other structures correspond to different joints: the tibial plateau is part of the knee joint where the femur sits on the top of the tibia; the glenoid cavity is the shoulder socket that joins with the humeral head; and the mandible forms the jaw joint with the temporal bone.