Joints of the Human Body
- Joints are the articulations between bones.
- Ligaments are tough, fibrous connective tissues that adhere bone to bone.
- Bones , ligaments and joints form the articular system.
There are 3 main types of joints:-
- Fibrous Joint
- Cartilaginous Joint
- Synovial Joint
Synarthrodial joints -Do not move – sutures of the skull.
Fibrous joints contain fibrous connective tissue and cannot move; fibrous joints include sutures, syndesmoses, and gomphoses.
Amphiarthrodial joints – move slightly and are held together by ligaments (e.g., inferior tibiofibular joint,Rib & sternum, Pubic Symphysis) Cartilaginous joints contain cartilage and allow very little movement.
Synarthrodial and amphiarthrodial joints do not contain an articular cavity, synovial membrane, or synovial fluid.
Synovial joints are the most common type of joint in the body . These joints are diarthrodial, meaning they are freely mobile.
Synovial Joint
Synovial Joints of our body are
- Hinge joint (elbow)
- Saddle (carpometacarpal) joint
- Planar (acromioclavicular) joint
- Pivot (atlantoaxial) joint
- Condyloid (metacarpophalangeal) joint
- Ball and socket (hip joint)
A characteristic for a synovial joint that is not seen at fibrous or cartilaginous joints is the presence of a joint cavity. The joint cavity contains synovial fluid, secreted by the synovial membrane (synovium), which lines the articular capsule. The articulating surfaces of the bones contact each other in this fluid-filled space. Hyaline cartilage forms the articular cartilage, covering the entire articulating surface of each bone.
A few synovial joints of the body have a fibro-cartilage structure located between the articulating bones. This is called an articular disc, which is generally small and oval-shaped, or a meniscus, which is larger and C-shaped. Synovial joints are further classified based on the type of movements they allow.
Joints of the Upper Extremity:-
- Acromio-clavicular Joint
- Shoulder joint
- Elbow Joint
- Wrist Joint
- Finger Joints
Joints of the Lower Extremity:-
- Pelvic /Hip Joint
- Knee joint
- Tibio-fibular Joint
- Ankle Joint
- Calcaneal Joints