Types of skeletal joints in the human body

This is on the basics of skeletal joints in the human body.

1. Joints Basics

2. TyPES OF JOINTS... fibrous or fixed joints Cartilaginous or slightly moveable joints Synovial or freely moveable joints

3. fibrous joints When no movement occurs between the bones concerned, the joint is described as fibrous (or fixed or immovable ). The bones are held in place by fibrous connective tissue. It is very difficult to damage this type of joint.

4. CARTILAGINOUS JOINT... Cartilaginous joints are held in place by cartilage, which allows slight movement to occur. Examples include the junction at two pelvic bones, the joints between the ribs and the sternum.

5. SYNOVIAL JOINTS... The amount of movement possible is limited by ligaments, muscles, tendons and adjoining bones. These joints are also known as synovial joints They occur at the shoulder, elbow wrist, finger, hip, knee, ankle and toes.

6. TYPES OF SYNOVIAL JOINTS... Ball and socket joint Hinge joint Pivot joint Gliding joints Saddle joints Condyloid (or ellipsoid) joints

7. BALL AND SOCKET JOINT... this joint forms when the spherical head of one bone fits into a cup-like cavity of another. the head of the humerus fits into a depression in the scapula The head of the femur articulates with the pelvis.

8. Hinge Joint... This joint allows movement in one plane only They form when the convex surface of one bone fits into the concave surface of the other elbow and the knee also occurs at the ankle and between the bones of the finger

9. Pivot Joint... This type of joint are formed when rounded, pointed or conical end of one bone articulates with a ring, formed partly by bone and partly by ligament. The first vertebra, on which the head is balanced (the atlas) The second vertebra (the axis) . This allows the head to rotate Between the ulna and the radius of the forearm, which allows the rotation of the hand.

10. Gliding joint... Allow movement in any direction in side-to-side or back-and-forth motion. Restricted only by the ligaments of bony processes surrounding the joint. Gliding joints are joined between Carpal bones Tarsal bones The sternum Clavicle.

11. Saddle Joint... The two bones forming the joint are saddle shaped - that is concave in one direction and convex in the other. They fit together in such a way that they allow side to side and back and forth movements This joint is only located where the thumb joins the palm of the hand.

12. Condyloid Joints... Have one surface of the bone slightly concave depression in another bone. Such joints occur between radius and the carpal bones, the metacarpals bones and the phalanges of the toes. They allow movement in two direction such as side to side and up and down

13. Types Of Movement At a Joint... Flexion (bending) usually decreases the angle of articulating bones bending the knee or elbow Extension (straightening) increases the angle of articulating bones straightening the arm or leg after flexion Abduction Which is movement away from the midline body lifting the arm upwards and away from the body Adduction Which is movement towards from the midline body returning the arm after abduction Rotation which is the movement of a bone around its long axis