Hip osteophyte formation consist late osteoarthritic changes. The changes involving the femoral head are usually more advanced than those seen in the acetabulum. Jeffery in 1973 performed a study describing the topography, morphology and growth of osteophytes in a series of femoral heads removed from patients presenting with advanced osteoarthritis of the hip. Major osteophyte formation patterns appeared to be influenced by the direction, degree and rate of displacement of the femoral head in relation to the acetabulum. Four principal patterns of growth were noted.