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Anatomy & Physiology: Articulations and Joint Movements

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Terms in this set (27)

  • What are joints or articulations?
    Connections between bones that may or may not permit movement, usually held together by cartilage, fluid, or dense connective tissues.
  • How are joints functionally classified?
    By the amount of movement they allow: immovable (synarthroses), slightly movable (amphiarthroses), and freely movable (diarthroses).
  • Where are immovable or slightly movable joints mostly found?
    In the axial skeleton.
  • Where are freely movable joints more common?
    In the appendicular skeleton.
  • What is a synarthrosis?
    An immovable joint, such as sutures in the skull or gomphosis between a tooth and alveolar bone.
  • What is a gomphosis?
    A joint between a tooth and the alveolar fossa of the maxillae or mandible, held by periodontal ligaments.
  • What is a synchondrosis?
    A joint where hyaline cartilage separates the ends of bones.
  • What is a synostosis?
    A joint where bones fuse together to form one bone.
  • What defines an amphiarthrosis?
    A slightly movable joint, such as syndesmosis (bones connected by long ligaments) or symphysis (bones connected by fibrocartilage).
  • What are diarthroses?
    Freely movable synovial joints typically found at the ends of long bones in limbs.
  • Name the six basic characteristics of synovial joints.
    Joint capsule, articular cartilages, joint cavity with synovial fluid, synovial membrane, accessory structures, sensory nerves and blood vessels.
  • What are the three functions of synovial fluid?
    Lubricates articular cartilage surfaces, nourishes chondrocytes, and acts as a shock absorber.
  • What are the main types of joint movements?
    Linear movements, angular movements, rotation, and special movements.
  • Give examples of special movements at the ankle.
    Eversion/inversion and dorsiflexion/plantar flexion.
  • What special movements occur in the vertebral column?
    Lateral flexion, anterior flexion (bending forward), extension (bending backward), and rotation.
  • What is opposition in thumb movement?
    Movement of the pollex (thumb) to touch the fingertips, allowing grasping.
  • Define protraction and retraction.
    Protraction is anterior movement in the horizontal plane; retraction is posterior movement in the horizontal plane.
  • Define elevation and depression in joint movement.
    Elevation is movement cranially (upward); depression is movement caudally (downward).
  • What are plane joints and their movement type?
    Nonaxial joints allowing gliding movements.
  • What movements do hinge joints allow?
    Flexion and extension.
  • What type of movement do pivot joints allow?
    Rotational movements.
  • What movements do condylar joints allow?
    Flexion/extension and abduction/adduction.
  • What are saddle joints and their movement capabilities?
    Biaxial joints that allow flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and circumduction.
  • What characterizes ball and socket joints?
    Triaxial joints allowing movement in multiple planes including rotation.
  • What is rheumatism?
    Pain and stiffness affecting the skeletal or muscular system.
  • What is arthritis?
    A group of rheumatic diseases affecting synovial joints.
  • How are the skeletal and muscular systems related?
    They are structurally and functionally interdependent, forming the musculoskeletal system.