Joints

By

Dr. Wafaa Abdel Rahman

Professor of Anatomy, Embryology

Definition:
- The joint is the point of meeting of two or
more bones.
Types:
- Joints are classified according to the
substance between the ends of the
bones into fibrous, cartilagenous
cartilagenous,, and
synovial joints.

I. Fibrous Joints
- The substance
between the
bones is
-

fibrous

tissue.

- No movement is
allowed.
- It is further
classified into:
1. Sutures
(between the
bones of the
skull).
The bones have
serrated edges.
Example: Skull.

2. Gomphosis (peg and socket)

Example: Teeth and jaws.
3. Syndesmosis
Example: Inferior tibiofibular joint

II. Cartilagenous Joints

- The substance between the bones is cartilage.
- It is further classified into,
1. Primary cartilagenous joint
- A hyaline cartilage is present at the ends of long bones
- This cartilage is transformed into bone (ossifies with
growth).
- No movement is allowed.
Example: the growing ends of long bones.(epiphyseal
plate.)

2. Secondary cartilagenous joint

The bones are covered with-hyaline cartilage and
separated from each other by fibrocartilage.
-This cartilage persists (it is not transformed into bone with
growth).
- limited movement is allowed.
Example: Joints between bodies of the vertebrae
(intervertebral discs), symphysis pubis

III. Synovial Joints

- The synovial joints have the following characters:
1. The articular surfaces of the bones are covered
by hyaline cartilage.
cartilage.
2. They are covered by fibrous capsule which is
thickened in some places to for ligaments.
3. The capsule is lined by synovial membrane
which secretes synovial fluid.
4. The synovial joints have free movements such
as joints of the upper and lower limbs.
5. There are intraintra-articular structures such as
ligaments or cartilage.

Types:
- It is classified into:
a. Non axial (just gliding movements)
Example: Joints between the small bones of the
hand and foot.

b. Uni
Uni--axial (one axis of movement)
i. Vertical axis (pivot)
Example: Radio ulnar joint
ii. Horizontal axis (hinge)
Example: Elbow joint

c. BiBi-axial (two axes of movements)

Example: Wrist joint
d. PolyPoly-axial (multiple axes of movements)
Example: hip and shoulder joints
Wide range of movements

Muscular System
There are three types of muscle:
1- Skeletal muscle
2- Smooth muscle
3- Cardiac muscle

I. Skeletal Muscles

Site:
- Muscles attached to the
bones of the skeleton and
move it.
Example: Muscles of the
upper and lower limbs.
Structure:
- It is formed of striated and
multinucleated muscle
fibers.
Control of movements:
- Voluntary control (supplied
by somatic nervous
system).

II. Smooth Muscles

Site:
- Gastrointestinal tract.
- Urinary bladder.
- Blood Vessels.
- Respiratory tract.
Structure:
- It is formed of spindle
shaped muscle fibers with
single nucleus.
Control of movements:
- Involuntary control
(supplied by autonomic
nervous system).

III. Cardiac Muscle

Site:
- Myocardium of the heart.
Structure:
- The muscle fiber is striated
with a single nucleus.
- These fibers branch and fuse
together to form syncytium.
Control of movements:
- It is involuntarly regulated
and has the character of
spontaneous contraction.

Flexion and extension

Describe the direction of movements that take place at
the joints

Flexion: = bending
Extension: =
straightening
Usually in most of the
joints flexion is
bending anteriorly
except in the knee
joint where flexion is
bending posteriorly.

Adduction and abduction

Adduction:
movement of the limb
towards the median plane

Abduction:
movement of the limb
away from the median plane

Different movements

Rotation
Rotation: It is the
movement around the
long axis of the bone.
Medial the anterior
surface of the bone
faces medially.
Lateral the anterior
surface of the bone
faces laterally

Circumduction
It is a circular
movement which
includes the previous
movements (flexion,
abduction, extension
and adduction).
Circumduction occurs
in few joints as the
shoulder and the hip
joint.

Pronation and supination

Rotatory
movements only
in the forearm

Supination: It is the
normal resting position
of the forearm, where
the palm of the hand
faces forwards, the
radius and the ulna are
parallel and the thumb
is lateral.-

Pronation: It is
opposite to
supination, that is
the palm of the hand
faces backwards, the
radius and the ulna
are crossed and the
thumb is medial.

Inversion and eversion

Inversion: This
movement occurs only in
the feet where the
planter surface of the
foot faces medially.
Eversion: It is opposite
to inversion, where the
planter surface of the
foot faces laterally.