7th October,2021.

Thursday
BIOLOGY
JOINTS
The human body has three main types of
joints. They’re categorized by the
movement they allow.
Joints, also known as articulations, are a
form of connection between bones. They
provide stability to the skeletal system as
well as allowing for specialized
movement.
Joints can be classified:
1. Histologically, on the dominant
type of connective tissue. ie fibrous,
cartilaginous, and synovial.
2. Functionally, based on the amount
of movement permitted. ie
synarthrosis (immovable),
amphiarthrosis (slightly moveable),
and diarthrosis (freely moveable)[1].
Generally speaking, the greater the range
of movement, the higher the risk of injury
because the strength of the joint is
reduced
The two classification schemes correlate:
 3. Synarthroses are fibrous joints
4. Amphiarthroses are cartilaginous
joints
5. Diarthroses are synovial joints
The 5 minute video outlines the basics.
Fibrous Joints

In fibrous joints (synarthrodial joint) the

bones are joined by fibrous tissue, namely
dense fibrous connective tissue, and no
joint cavity is present. The amount of
movement allowed depends on the length
of the connective tissue fibers uniting the
bones. Although a few are slightly
movable, most fibrous joints are
immovable.
The three types of fibrous joints are
sutures, syndesmoses, and gomphoses.
6. Sutures are immobile joints in the
cranium. The plate-like bones of the
skull are slightly mobile at birth
because of the connective tissue
between them, termed fontanelles.
This initial flexibility allows the infant’s
head to get through the birth canal at
delivery and permits the enlargement
of the brain after birth. As the skull
enlarges, the fontanelles reduce to a
narrow layer of fibrous connective
tissue that suture the bony plates
together. Eventually, cranial sutures
ossify- the two adjacent plates fuse to
form one bone (termed synostosis).
7. Gomphoses are the immobile joints
between the teeth and their sockets in
the mandible and maxillae. The
 periodontal ligament is the fibrous
tissue that connects the tooth to the
socket.
8. Syndesmoses are slightly movable
joints (amphiarthroses). In
syndesmosis joints, the two bones are
held together by an interosseous
membrane. Eg Middle Tibiofibular
Joint, a fibrous joint formed by the
interosseus membrane connecting the
shafts of the tibia and the fibula[1].
Cartilaginous Joints
Cartilaginous joints are a type of joint
where the bones are entirely joined by
cartilage, either hyaline cartilage or
fibrocartilage. These joints generally allow
more movement than fibrous joints but
less movement than synovial joints.
• Primary cartilaginous joints: These
cartilaginous joints are composed
entirely of hyaline cartilage and are
known as synchondroses. Most exist
between ossification centres of
developing bones and are absent in
the mature skeleton, but a few persist
in adults. eg First Sternocostal Joint,
between first rib and manubrium (all
other sternocostal joints are plane
synovial joints); Growth plates. Image
3: synchondroses eg. growth plate
• The secondary cartilaginous joint, also
known as symphysis, may involve
 either hyaline or fibrocartilage. These
joints are slightly mobile
(amphiarthroses). eg The pubic
symphysis: Intervertebral discs[2].
Synovial Joints

The primary purpose of the synovial joint

is to prevent friction between the
articulating bones of the joint cavity.
While all synovial joints are diarthroses,
the extent of movement varies among
different subtypes and is often limited by
the ligaments that connect the bones.
Nearly all joints of the limbs and most
joints of the body fall into this class.
A key structural 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. This fluid-filled space is
the site at which the articulating surfaces
of the bones contact each other. Hyaline
cartilage forms the articular cartilage,
covering the entire articulating surface of
each bone. The articular cartilage and the
synovial membrane are continuous. A few
synovial joints of the body have a
fibrocartilage 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
Synarthroses (immovable). These are
fixed or fibrous joints. They’re defined as
two or more bones in close contact that
have no movement. The bones of the skull
are an example. The immovable joints
between the plates of the skull are known
as sutures.
Amphiarthroses (slightly movable). Also
known as cartilaginous joints, these joints
are defined as two or more bones held so
tightly together that only limited
movement can take place. The vertebrae
of the spine are good examples.
Diarthroses (freely movable). Also known
as synovial joints, these joints have
synovial fluid enabling all parts of the joint
to smoothly move against each other.
These are the most prevalent joints in
your body. Examples include joints like the
knee and shoulder.
Types of freely movable joints
There are six types of freely movable
diarthrosis (synovial) joints:
Ball and socket joint. Permitting
movement in all directions, the ball and
socket joint features the rounded head of
one bone sitting in the cup of another
bone. Examples include your shoulder
joint and your hip joint.
Hinge joint. The hinge joint is like a door,
opening and closing in one direction,
along one plane. Examples include your
elbow joint and your knee joint.
Condyloid joint. The condyloid joint
allows movement, but no rotation.
Examples include your finger joints and
your jaw.
Pivot joint. The pivot joint, also called the
rotary joint or trochoid joint, is
characterized by one bone that can swivel
in a ring formed from a second bone.
Examples are the joints between your ulna
and radius bones that rotate your
forearm, and the joint between the first
and second vertebrae in your neck.
Gliding joint. The gliding joint is also
called the plane join. Although it only
permits limited movement, it’s
characterized by smooth surfaces that can
slip over one another. An example is the
joint in your wrist.
Saddle joint. Although the saddle joint
does not allow rotation, it does enable
movement back and forth and side to
side. An example is the joint at the base of
your thumb.

Structure of a joint

Joints are held together and supported by

tough bands of connective tissue called
ligaments. Smooth cartilage prevents
friction as the bones move against one
another. In freely movable joints, the
entire joint is enclosed inside a membrane
filled with lubricating synovial fluid, which
helps to provide extra cushioning against
impact.
Muscles are attached to bones with thick,
tough bands of connective tissue called
tendons. Where tendons lie close to bone,
tiny sacs called bursae sit between the
tendon and the bone to reduce friction. A
bursa is filled with synovial fluid.
Joint conditions

Common causes of joint pain include:

arthritis – inflammation that causes
stiffness and pain in the joints
(rheumatoid arthritis or gout) or
degeneration (osteoarthritis)
bursitis – inflammation of the bursae
(fluid-filled sacs that cushion and pad
bones)
infection – within the joint
tendonitis – inflammation, irritation and
swelling of a tendon that is attached to
the joint.
injury – including sprain or strain of a
ligament or nearby tendon or muscle, or
bone fracture.

Takeaway
The adult human skeletal system has a
complex architecture that includes 206
named bones connected by cartilage,
tendons, ligaments, and three types of
joints:
synarthroses (immovable)
amphiarthroses (slightly movable)
diarthroses (freely movable)
Although the actual number of joints in
any one person depends on a number of
variables, the estimated number is
between 250 and 350.