JOINTS

Outcomes By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Know what the 3 main types of joint are. Know where each can be found. Understand what a ligament and a tendon is.

Joints We know our skeleton is made of bones. Joints are where two or more bones meet. Joints are divided into 3 types depending on how freely the bones can move.

IMMOVABLE JOINTS These joints are fixed and no movement is possible. For example, the bones in the cranium.

CARTILAGINOUS JOINTS These joints are linked by cartilage. For example, the vertebrae. They allow a small range of movement.

SYNOVIAL JOINTS These have the greatest range of movement. These joints are called synovial joints because they have synovial fluid in them to lubricate the joint. There are 6 types of synovial joint.

Synovial joints 1.Hinge – these have a hinge like a door. Eg. Knee. 2. Pivot – this type of joint occurs at the neck. It allows rotation to occur.

Synovial joints 3. Ball and Socket – These joints have the greatest range of movement. e.g. shoulder, hip. 4. Gliding joint – This is where flat bones glide over each other, such as the small bones in the wrist (carpals).

Synovial joints 5. Saddle joint – This joint is found at the base of the thumb. 6. Condyloid joint – This type of joint is found in the wrist and ankle.

The Knee Joint You will need to know the structure of a synovial joint. We are going to take the knee for an example. Look carefully at the following slide.

Synovial joint - Knee Outer sleeve called the joint capsule. Synovial membrane Joint cavity – small gap between the bones full with synovial fluid. Cartilage on the ends of the bones. This stops the bones knocking together. Ligaments – hold the bones together and keep them in place. Bone