Articular System7
Joints, simply de ned, are the meeting
places between bones. is simple de nition describes a joint as any place
in the skeleton where one skeletal element contacts another skeletal ele-
ment. It is important to understand that, as a part of this de nition,
the bones never contact each other directly. Instead, there is al-
ways some other connective tissue between the bony contact
surfaces. Joints come in a wide variety of structural junc-
tions, with an accompanying variety of functions.
Because joints have various functions and those
functions do not always deal with movement, it is il-
logical to de ne joints by their movements. e best
method for classifying joints is based on their struc-
ture. Because the structure of joints includes the con-
nective tissues between the neighboring bones, a
classi cation based on the structure of those tissues
is logical. At the simplest level, there are two basic
ways bones connect with one another to form joints.
Either they are connected by solid masses of connec-
tive tissue, or they are bound together by a connective
tissue capsule, which surrounds a lubricated cavity be-
tween the adjoining bones.
Joints formed by a solid core of connective
tissue between the neighboring bones are called
synarthroses. ere are two subcategories of
synarthroses — brous joints, which have connec-
tive tissue cores of connective tissue proper, typi-
cally dense irregular connective tissue, and cartilage
joints, which use some form of cartilage as the
connecting tissue between the bones. e capsu-
lar joints, with their lubricated cavity, are called
diarthroses or synovial joints. ere are nu-
merous subcategories of diarthroses, each
based on the structure and function of their
articular surfaces.
In addition to joints, this chapter will
also illustrate other closely related synovial
structures — bursae and synovial (tendon)
sheaths.
Find more information
about arthrology in
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REALANATOMY
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