Joint Categorization

Question 1

Sutures (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 1

Fibrous joint - Bone edges are interlocked by short and tightly woven connective tissue (i.e. cranial joints)

Question 2

Syndesmosis (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 2

Fibrous joint - Joint held by ligament/connective tissue that varies in length, but longer than in sutures (i.e. any joint held together by ligaments)

Question 3

Gomphosis (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 3

Fibrous joint - Suture-like “peg-in-socket” joint (i.e. tooth)

Question 4

Synchondroses (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 4

Cartilagenous joint - Bones that are united by hyaline cartilage (i.e. FIRST sternocostal joint or epiphyseal plate of certain young bones)

Question 5

Symphyses (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 5

Cartilagenous joint - Bones united by fibrocartilage (i.e. intervertebral discs, pubic symphysis, menisci, and temporomandibular joint)

Question 6

Synarthrosis

Answer 6

Immovable joint

Question 7

Amphiarthrosis

Answer 7

Slightly-movable joint

Question 8

Diarthrosis

Answer 8

Freely-movable joint

Question 9

Plane, Gliding, or Arthrodial (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 9

Synovial joint - Essentially flat articular surface that allow only short nonaxial gliding movements (i.e. intercarpal & intertarsal joints)

Question 10

Hinge or Ginglymus (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 10

Synovial joint - Resembles a mechanical hinge in structure and only allows for uniaxial movements (i.e. elbow flexion and extension)

Question 11

Pivot, Rotary, or Trochoid (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 11

Synovial joint - Rounded end of one bone conforms to a ring-like structure of another bone that allows for uniaxial rotation (i.e. radioulnar joint)

Question 12

Condyloid, (Bi)Condylar, or Ellipsoidal (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 12

Synovial joint - Oval articular surface of one bone conforms into a depression of another bone and allows for biaxial movement: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and, summing, circumduction (i.e. radiocarpal/wrist joint)

Question 13

Saddle or Sellar (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 13

Synovial joint - Both bones form a saddle-like connection by both having concave and convex structures on their ends, which allow for biaxial movements: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and, summing, circumduction (i.e. marpometacarpal joint of thumb)

Question 14

Ball & Socket or Spheroidal (Category, Description, and Example)

Answer 14

Synovial joint - Spherical head of one bone conforms to the cup-like socket of another, allowing for multiaxial/universal movement of the joint (i.e. shoulder and hip joints)