The most favorable mechanical environment for the hip is one that is free of both instability and impingement, creating a concentric articulation with optimum femoral head coverage by the acetabulum. Anatomic variations such as acetabular dysplasia with associated instability, and femoroacetabular impingement with abnormal constraint, will lead to abnormal joint mechanics, articular damage, and osteoarthritis. Surgical techniques such as periacetabular osteotomies, and femoral and acetabular osteoplasties enable correction of anatomic variations that cause mechanical damage to the hip joint, thereby potentially preventing or delaying development of osteoarthritis and subsequent need for joint replacement.