Normal male pelvis. Coloured X-ray of a normal adult male pelvis (frontal view). The large, ear- shaped bones are the hip bones (innominate bones), and consist of three bones fused together. The hip bones curve round from the base of the spine (upper centre) at the back of the body to a small joint at the front of the body (thin gap in lower centre). The pelvis is joined to the thigh bones (femurs) of the legs by the two ball-and-socket hip joints (centre left & centre right). The whole pelvis forms a basin-shaped structure that supp- orts the upper half of the body and protects the lower abdominal organs. In women the pelvis is more shallow and broad than here.