Joints & Articulations

Classification Of Joints

Classification By Function (degree of

movement possible):
1. Synarthroses (Syn=connected, immovable)
Joints with little or no movement
Skull sutures, cranium (minus the mandible)
2. Amphiarthroses (Amphi = on both sides, between)
Slightly moveable joints
Intervertebral discs, costosternal joints, cartilaginous
joints(vertebrate between spine)
3. Diarthroses (Diar=passing through, free moving)
Freely moveable joints
Shoulder, knee, hip, elbow, interphalangeal, tarsal, and
carpal joints

Joint Classification

Classification by
structure:
1. Synovial joints:

Bones separated
by a joint cavity;
lubricated by
synovial fluid;
enclosed in a
fibrous joint
capsule.
Shoulder, hip,
elbow, knee,
carpal,
interphalangeal
How would we classify these
joints functionally?

Joint Classification
2. Fibrous joints:

Bones held together

by collagenous fibers
extending from the
matrix of one bone
into the matrix of the
next.
No joint cavity
Skull sutures, teeth in
joints, distal radioulnar
joints & tibiofibular
joints

Joint Classifications
3. Cartilaginous joints:

Bones held together by cartilage; no joint cavity

Epiphyseal plates of long bones, costosternal joints,
pubic symphysis, intervertebral discs

Structure and Function

Joints are designed
for their function.
Lets look at sutures
as our 1st example:
Name 4 sutures!
What function do you
suppose sutures are
designed for?

Types of Joints in the

Human Body
(1) Immovable: fixed joint such as the cranium
(2) Ball-and-socket joints: such as the shoulder and hip joints, allow
backward, forward, sideways, and rotating movements.
(3) Hinge joints: such as in the fingers, knees, elbows, and toes,
allow only bending and straightening movements.
(4) Pivot joints: such as the neck joints, allow limited rotating
movements.
(5) Sliding Joint: found in the vertebral column and allows small
sliding movements. The vertebrae have pads of cartilage between
them, and the bones slide over these pads. This is what makes the
backbone so flexible.
(6) Ellipsoidal Joint: similar to a ball and socket joint. They allow
the same type of movement to a lesser magnitude such as the wrist

Structure and Function

Now lets talk about

synovial joints.
5 main structural
characteristics:
1. Articular cartilage

What kind of
cartilage is it?

Where do we find it?

What does it do?

Structure and Function

2. Articular capsule

2 layered. Surrounds both

articular cartilages and the
space btwn them.
External layer is made of
dense irregular CT & is
continuous w/ the perisoteum.
Inner layer is a synovial
membrane made of loose
connective tissue.

It covers all internal joint surfaces

except for those areas covered by
the articular cartilage.

Structure and Function

3.

Joint (Synovial) Cavity

4.

The potential space within

the joint capsule and
articular cartilage

Synovial Fluid

A small amount of slippery

fluid occupying all free
space w/i the joint capsule
Formed by filtration of
blood flowing thru
capillaries in the synovial
membrane
Synovial fluid becomes
less viscous as joint
activity increases.

Structure and
Function
5.

Reinforcing Ligaments

What kind of tissue are

they?
What do you suppose
their function is?
Double-jointed-ness
results from extrastretchy ligaments and
joint capsules. Is this
necessarily a good
thing?

Other Synovial Structures

The knee and hip joints have
cushioning fatty pads btwn
the fibrous capsule and the
synovial membrane or bone.
Discs of fibrocartilage (i.e.,
menisci) which improve the
fit between bone ends, thus
stabilizing the joint.
Found in the knee, jaw, and
sternoclavicular joint.

Bursae are basically bags of

lubricant - fibrous
membrane bags filled with
synovial fluid. Often found
where bones, muscles,
tendons, or ligaments rub
together.

Types of
Synovial Joints
1.

Plane joints

2.

Articular surfaces are flat and

allow short slipping or gliding
movements.
Intercarpal and intertarsal
joints

Hinge joints

A cylindrical projection of one

bone fits into a troughshaped surface on another
(like a hotdog in a bun)
Movement resembles a door
hinge.
Elbow joint ulna and
humerus; Interphalangeal
joints

Type of
Synovial Joints
3.

Pivot joints

4.

Rounded end of one bone

protrudes into a ring formed by
another bone or by ligaments of
that bone.
Proximal radioulnar joint
Atlas-axial joint

Condyloid joints

Oval articular surface of one

bone fits into a complementary
depression on another.
Radiocarpal joints
Metacarpophalangeal joints

Types of
Synovial Joints
5. Saddle joints

Each articular surface has convex

and concave areas. Each articular
surface is saddle-shaped.
Carpometacarpal joints of the
thumbs.

6. Ball-and-Socket joints

Spherical or semi-spherical head

of one bone articulates with the
cuplike socket of another.
Allow for much freedom of motion.
Shoulder and hip joints.

The Knee
Largest and most complex
diarthrosis in the body.
Primarily a hinge joint, but
when the knee is flexed, it is
also capable of slight rotation
and lateral gliding.
Actually consists of 3 joints:

Patellofemoral joint
Medial and lateral tibiofemoral
joints

The joint cavity is only partially

enclosed by a capsule on
the medial, lateral, and
posterior sides.

 The lateral and medial

condyles of the femur
articulate with the
lateral and medial
condyles of the tibia.
Between these
structures, we have the
lateral and medial
menisci.

Anteriorly, the patellar

ligament binds the
tibia (where?) to the
inferior portion of the
patella. The superior
portion of the patella
is then connected to
the quadriceps
femoris muscle

The Knee

 At least a dozen
bursae are associated
with the knee.
Multiple ligaments are
present.
The fibular collateral
ligament extends from
the lateral epicondyle
of the femur to the
head of the fibula.
The tibial collateral
ligament connects
medial epicondyle of
the femur to the medial
condyle of the tibial
shaft and is also fused
to the medial
meniscus.
Both of these
ligaments prevent
excessive rotation

The Knee

 The anterior and posterior

cruciate ligaments are
also very important.
ACL connects the anterior
intercondylar area of the
tibia to the medial side of the
lateral femoral condyle.
Prevents forward sliding of
the tibia and hyperextension
of the knee.

PCL connects the posterior

intercondylar area of the
tibia to the lateral side of the
medial femoral condyle.
Prevents backward
displacement of the tibia or
forward sliding of the femur.

The Knee

ACL Videos

http://video.about.com/sportsmedicine/Anterior-Cruciate-Ligament.htm
http://video.about.com/sportsmedicine/Medial-Meniscus-Injury.htm

Articulations (Movements)

Clinical
Conditions
Arthritis describes about
100 different types of
inflammatory or
degenerative joint
diseases.
Osteoarthritis
Most common arthritis.
Normal joint use prompts
the release of cartilagedamaging enzymes. If
cartilage destruction
exceeds cartilage
replacement, were left with
roughened, cracked,
eroded cartilages.

Eventually bone tissue

thickens and forms spurs that
can restrict movement.
Most common in C and L
spine, fingers, knuckles,
knees, and hips.

 Rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic inflammatory
disorder
Marked by flare-ups
Autoimmune disease.
Body creates antibodies
which attack the joint
surfaces
The synovial membrane
can inflame and eventually
thicken into a pannus an
abnormal tissue that clings
to the articular cartilage.

Clinical
Conditions

Clinical
Conditions
Gouty arthritis

When nucleic acids are metabolized uric

acid is produced. Normally uric acid is
excreted in the urine.
If blood [uric acid] rises due to decreased
excretion or increased production, it may
begin to form needle-shaped crystals in
the soft tissues of joints.
Inflammation ensues causing painful
arthritis.