Ligaments are thickened tissues that connect bones (to other bones) in the human body.  The hip joint, also known as the acetabulofemoral joint, is the place where the femur bone of the leg connects with the pelvis. It may be compared to a ball-and-socket joint that permits a wide range of motions.

This joint has five ligaments. The ischiofemoral ligament is a band of very strong fibers that connect the pelvis and the femur. The specific bone it is attached to is the ischium, which is located in the lower and posterior portion of the hipbone. Its name is derived from a Greek word, ischion, which means hip. Femoral, which comes from the Latin word femur, translates as thigh. So its name suggests the connection between the hip and the thigh.

The capsule of the hip joint has two layers of fibrous ligaments around it. One layer is longitudinal in orientation; the other is circular. The ischiofemoral ligament blends with the fibers of the circular ligaments and attaches at the intertrochanteric line of the femur.