JOINTS

Presented by:
Dr. Umbreen bano
 JOINTS
• DEFINITION:
• Joint is a junction between two or more
bones or cartilages.

• CLASSIFICATION OF JOINTS:

• Fibrous Joints:
• sutures
• syndesmosis
• gomphosis
• Cartilaginous joints:

• primary cartilaginous joints or synchondrosis

• secondary cartilaginous joints or symphysis
• Synovial joints:

• ball-and-socket joint
• condylar joint
• hinge joint
 FIBROUS JOINTS

• In fibrous joints the bones are joined

by fibrous tissue (collagen).
• These joints are either immovable or
permit a slight degree of movement.
• These can be grouped in the
following three subtypes:
• Sutures:
• These are peculiar to skull, and are
immovable.
• Syndesmosis:
• The bones are connected by the
interosseous ligaments.
• Example: inferior tibiofibular joint.
• Gomphosis (peg and socket joint):
• Example: tooth in its socket.
 CARTILAGINOUS JOINTS:

• the bones are joined by cartilage (fibrocartilage or

Hyaline cartilage).

• Primary cartilaginous joints (synchondrosis, or

hyaline cartilage joints):
• The bones are united by a plate of hyaline
cartilage.
• No movement is possible.
• These joints are temporary in nature because after
a certain age the cartilaginous plate is replaced by
bone.
• Examples: joint between epiphysis and diaphysis of
a growing long bone; costochondral joints.

• Secondary cartilaginous joints (symphyses or

fibrocartilaginous joints).
• The articular surfaces are covered by a thin layer of
hyaline cartilage, and united a disc of
fibrocartilage.
• Typically the secondary cartilaginous joints occur in
the median plane of the body.
• Examples: symphysis pubis; intervertebral joints
between the vertebral bodies.
 SYNOVIAL JOINTS

• Synovial joints are most mobile type of joints.

• The articular surfaces are covered with a thin
layer of hyaline (articular ) cartilage.
• Between the articular surfaces there is a joint
cavity filled with a viscous, lubricating and
nutrient fluid, called synovial fluid.
• The presence of the hyaline cartilage and the
synovial fluid allows the bone surfaces to slide
over each other relatively free from friction.
• The joint is surrounded by an fibrous articular
capsule.
• The capsule is lined by synovial membrane,
that secretes the synovial fluid.
• The fibrous capsule is often reinforced by
capsular or true ligaments representing
thickening of the fibrous capsule.
• The synovial membrane lines whole of the
interior of the joint, except for the articular
surfaces covered by hyaline cartilage. The
membrane secretes a slimy viscous fluid called
the synovial fluid which lubricates the joints
and nourishes the articular cartilage.
• Within the cavity of a synovial joint, between
the opposing bones, can be a fibrocartilaginous
meniscus or disc. These act to make the
articular surfaces more congruent and act as a
shock absorber.
 TYPES OF THE SYNOVIAL JOINTS
• Plane joints:
• The apposed articular surfaces
are flat.
• This permits the bones to slide
on one another.
• Examples: Sternoclavicular
joint, Acromioclavicular joint
• Hinge joint
• Articular surfaces are pulley-
shaped.
• Only flexion & extension are
possible.
• Example: Elbow joint, Ankle
joint.
 TYPES OF THE SYNOVIAL JOINTS
• Condyloid joints:
• Articular surfaces include two distinct
condyles fitting into reciprocally concave
surfaces.
• The movements of flexion and extension,
abduction and adduction can take place,
but small amount of rotation is also
possible.
• Example: Metacarpophalangeal joints.
• Ball-and-socket joints:
• Articular surfaces include a globular head
fitting into a cup-shaped socket.
• This arrangement permits free
movements, including flexion, extension,
abduction, adduction, medial rotation,
lateral rotation, and circumduction.
• Examples: Shoulder joint,Hip joint.
• Ellipsoid joints:
• An elliptical convex articular surface fits into
an elliptical concave articular surface.
• The movements of flexion and extension,
abduction and adduction can take place, but
rotation is impossible.
• Examples: Wrist joint.
• Saddle joints:
• The articular surfaces are reciprocally
concavoconvex.
• The movements of flexion and extension,
abduction and adduction and rotation is
also possible.
• Examples: Carpometacarpal joint of the
thumb.
• Pivot joints:
• A central bony pivot is surrounded by a bony-
ligamentous ring.
• Rotation is the only movement possible.
• Examples: Median atlanto-axial joint,
Superior radio-ulnar joint.
 STABILITY OF JOINTS
• The stability of a joint depends on three main factors:
• 1. Articular surfaces
• The ball-and-socket arrangement of the hip joint and the mortise arrangement of
the ankle joint are good examples of how bone shape plays an important role in
joint stability.
• 2. Ligaments
• Fibrous ligaments prevent excessive movement in a joint.
• 3. Muscle tone
• In most joints, muscle tone is the major factor controlling stability.
• For example, the muscle tone of the short muscles around the shoulder joint
keeps the hemispherical head of the humerus in the shallow glenoid cavity of the
scapula.
• The knee joint is very unstable without the tonic activity of the quadriceps
femoris muscle.
• The joints between the small bones forming the arches of the feet are largely
supported by the tone of the muscles of the leg, whose tendons are inserted into
the bones of the feet.
 NERVE SUPPLY OF JOINTS
• The capsule and ligaments receive an
abundant sensory nerve supply.
• A sensory nerve supplying a joint also supplies
the muscles moving the joint and the skin
overlying the insertions of these muscles, a
fact that has been codified as Hilton's law.