JOINTS

• DEFINITION
• Articulations: The site where 2 or more bones
meet.
• Functions of joints
– Give the skeleton mobility
– Hold the skeleton together
• Joints are a weak part of the skeleton and are
often injured
• TYPES OF JOINTS
• 3 Types of joints are;
• Synovial Joints,
• Fibrous Joints, and
• Cartilaginous Joints.
Classification of joints and anatomy of
different types of joints
Functional classification focuses on the amount
of movement allowed by the joint
The three functional classes of joints are
1. Synarthroses – immovable (cranial bones)
2. Amphiarthroses – slightly movable (vertebrae)
3. Diarthroses – freely movable (knee)
• Structural Classification
- focuses on the material binding bones
together and whether or not a joint cavity is
present
• The three structural classifications are:
1. Fibrous (cranial bones)
2. Cartilaginous (ribs – sternum)
3. Synovial (knee)
1. Fibrous Joints (structural classification)
• The bones are joined by fibrous tissues
• Fibrous tissue can vary in length, but is longer
in syndesmoses than in sutures
• There is no joint cavity
• Most are immovable
There are three types –
- Sutures,
- Syndesmoses, and
- Gomphoses
A. Fibrous Joints: Sutures
• Occur between the bones of the skull
• *Comprised of interlocking junctions
completely filled with connective tissue
fibers*
• Bind bones tightly together, but allow for
growth during youth
• Skull bones fuse and are called synostoses
– Begins as early as age 10-15, generally complete
by age 30-50
Fibrous Structural Joints: Sutures - example

Figure 8.1a
Suture
B. Fibrous Joints: Syndesmoses
• Bones are connected by a fibrous tissue
ligament*
• Movement varies from immovable to slightly
variable
• Examples include the connection between the
tibia and fibula, and the radius and ulna
Fibrous Joints: Syndesmoses - example

Figure 8.1b
C. Fibrous Joints: Gomphoses
• The peg-in-socket fibrous joint between a
tooth and its alveolar socket
• The fibrous connection is the periodontal
ligament
• 2. Cartilaginous joints; (ampharthrosis) and
Immovable (synarthrosis) Joints
• Articulating bones are united by cartilage
(fibrocartilage or hyalin cartilage)
• *Lack a joint cavity*
• Two types
- synchondroses and
- symphyses
• Cartilaginous Joints: Synchondroses
• A bar or plate of hyaline cartilage unites the
bones
• All synchondroses are synarthrotic
(immovable)
• Examples include:
– Epiphyseal plates of children
– Joint between the costal cartilage of the 1st
rib and the sternum
Cartilaginous Joints: Synchondroses - example

Figure 8.2a, b
b. Cartilaginous Joints: Symphyses
• Hyaline cartilage covers the articulating
surface of the bone and is fused to an
intervening pad of fibrocartilage
• Amphiarthrotic (slightly movable) joints
designed for strength and flexibility
• Examples include intervertebral joints and the
pubic symphysis of the pelvis (expansion in
female for childbirth
Cartilaginous Joints: Symphyses - example
3. Synovial Joints
• Most common
• *Those joints in which the articulating bones
are separated by a fluid-containing joint
cavity*
• All are diarthroses (freely movable)
• Examples – all limb joints, and most joints of
the body (regardless of size!)
Synovial Joints: Anatomy
All synovial joints have:
– Articular cartilage
– Joint (synovial) cavity
– Articular capsule
– Synovial fluid
– Reinforcing ligaments
Synovial Joints: Anatomy - example

Cadaver dissection
• Synovial Joints: Friction-Reducing Structures
These friction-reducing structures are found in
synovial joints and are common where
ligaments, muscles, skin, tendons, or bones
rub together:
1. Bursae – flattened, fibrous sacs lined with
synovial membranes and containing synovial
fluid
2. Tendon sheath – elongated bursa that wraps
completely around a tendon
Synovial Joints: Friction-Reducing Structures
• Synovial Joints: Stability
Stability is determined by:
– Articular surfaces – shape determines what
movements are possible
– Ligaments – unite bones and prevent excessive or
undesirable motion
– Muscle tone
• Tendons of muscles cross the joint and help
stabilize it
• The tendons are kept tight by muscle tone
• Types of Synovial joints
• Planar Joint
• Hinge Joint
• Pivot Joint
• Saddle Joint
• Ball & Socket Joint
• Condyloid or Ellipsoid Joint
• Hinge Joint
• Convex surface of bone fits
in concave surface of 2nd
bone
• Unixlateral like a door hinge
• Examples:
- Knee, elbow, ankle,
interphalangeal joints
• Movements produced:
- flexion
- extension
- hyperextension
• Planar/Gliding Joint
• Bone surfaces are slightly
curved
• Side to side movement
only
• Rotation prevented by
ligaments
• Examples:
- intercarpal to intertarsal
joints
- sternoclavicular joint
- vertebrocostal joints
• Pivot Joint
• Rounded surface of bone articulates with the ring
formed by the 2nd bone & ligament
• Monoaxial since it only allows rotation around
longitudinal axis
• Examples:
- proximal radioulnar joint
- supination
- pronation
- atlanto-axial joint
- Turning head side
• Saddle Joint
• One bone saddle-shaped, other bone
fits like a person riding on the saddle
• Allow the movement of the joint
forward and backwards, and right to
left.
• Biaxial
- circumduction allows the tip of the
thumb to travel in a circle
- Opposition allows thumb to touch tip
of other fingers
• Examples:
- Trapezium of carpus and metacarpal
of thumb
• Ball and Socket Joint
• Ball fitting into a cup-
like depression
• Multiaxial
- flexion/extension
- abduction/adduction
- rotation
• Examples:
- shoulder joint
- hip joint
• Condyloid Joint
• Oval-shaped depression fits into
oval depression
• Biaxial= flex/extend or
adduct/abduct is possible
• Examples:
- Wrist and metacarpophelangeal
joints for 2 to 5 digits
- Metatarsophalangeal joints
• Synovial Joints: Movement
The two muscle attachments across a joint are:
– Origin – attachment to the immovable bone
– Insertion – attachment to the movable
bone
• Described as movement along transverse,
frontal, or sagittal planes
• Synovial Joints: Range of Movement(motion)
1. Nonaxial – gliding movements only
2. Uniaxial – movement in one plane
3. Biaxial – movement in two planes
4. Multiaxial – movement in or around all three
planes
 Gliding Movements
• One flat bone surface glides or slips over
another similar surface
• Examples – intercarpal and intertarsal
joints, and between the flat articular
processes of the vertebrae
 Angular Movement

1. Flexion — bending movement that decreases the angle of

the joint
2. Extension — reverse of flexion; joint angle is increased
3. Dorsiflexion and plantar flexion — up and down
movement of the foot
4. Abduction — movement away from the midline
5. Adduction — movement toward the midline
6. Circumduction — movement describes a cone in space
Gliding Movement
Angular Movement
Angular Movement
Angular Movement
 Rotation
• The turning of a
bone around its own
long axis
• Examples
– Between atlas and
axis
– Hip and shoulder
joints
 Special Movements

• Supination and pronation

• Inversion and eversion
• Protraction and retraction
• Elevation and depression
• Opposition
Special Movements
Special Movements
Special Movements

Figure 8.6c
Special Movements

Figure 8.6d
Special Movements
Types of Joints: examples
Various kinds of joints.
Fibrous: A, syndesmosis
(tibiofibular); B, suture
(skull). Cartilaginous: C,
symphysis (vertebral
bodies); D, synchondrosis
(first rib and sternum).
Synovial: E, condyloid
(wrist); F, gliding
(radioulnar); G, hinge or
ginglymus (elbow); H, ball
and socket (hip); I, saddle
(carpometacarpal of
thumb); J, pivot
(atlantoaxial).
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