Human Anatomy & Physiology Chapter 8 - Joints Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering structural and functional joint classifications, specific joint structures, synovial movements, major joint anatomies, and common joint disorders from Chapter 8.

Joints (Articulations)

Sites where two or more bones meet, serving to give the skeleton mobility and hold it together.

Synarthroses

Immovable joints based on functional classification.

Amphiarthroses

Slightly movable joints based on functional classification.

Diarthroses

Freely movable joints based on functional classification.

Fibrous Joints

Joints where bones are joined by dense fibrous connective tissue with no joint cavity present.

Sutures

Rigid, interlocking joints found only in the skull that contain short connective tissue fibers allowing for expansion during youth.

Synostoses

Closed, immovable sutures in middle age where skull bones ossify and fuse into a single unit.

Syndesmoses

Fibrous joints where bones are connected exclusively by ligaments or bands of fibrous tissue.

Gomphoses

Peg-in-socket fibrous joints, exemplified exclusively by the teeth articulating with alveolar sockets.

Periodontal Ligament

The fibrous connection that anchors a tooth into its alveolar socket.

Cartilaginous Joints

Joints where articulating bones are united by cartilage and lack a joint cavity.

Synchondroses

Cartilaginous joints where bones are united by a bar or plate of hyaline cartilage, almost all of which are synarthrotic.

Symphyses

Cartilaginous joints where bones are united by fibrocartilage, creating strong, amphiarthrotic joints.

Synovial Joints

Joints in which articulating bones are separated by a fluid-filled joint cavity, all being freely movable diarthroses.

Articular Cartilage

Hyaline cartilage covering the opposing surfaces of bones in a synovial joint to prevent crushing of bone ends.

Articular Capsule

A two-layered enclosure of a synovial joint consisting of an external dense irregular fibrous layer and an inner loose synovial membrane.

Synovial Fluid

A viscous, slippery filtrate of plasma and hyaluronic acid that lubricates, nourishes articular cartilage, and contains phagocytic cells.

Bursae

Fibrous bags filled with synovial fluid that act as lubricating friction-reducers where ligaments, muscles, skin, tendons, or bones rub together.

Tendon Sheaths

Elongated bursae wrapped completely around tendons that are subjected to friction.

Articular Discs (Menisci)

Wedges of fibrocartilage separating articular surfaces to improve bone fit, stabilize the joint, and reduce wear and tear.

Nonaxial Movement

Gliding movements allowed by synovial joints where bone surfaces slide without rotation around an axis.

Uniaxial Movement

Joint movement that occurs in or around only one plane.

Biaxial Movement

Joint movement that occurs in or around two planes.

Multiaxial Movement

Joint movement that occurs in or around all three planes.

Flexion

An angular movement that decreases the angle between two bones, usually in the sagittal plane.

Extension

An angular movement that increases the angle between two bones, usually in the sagittal plane.

Hyperextension

Angular movement of a joint beyond its anatomical position.

Abduction

Moving a limb away from the body midline along the frontal plane.

Adduction

Moving a limb toward the body midline along the frontal plane.

Circumduction

Moving a limb or finger so that it describes a cone in space, combining flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction.

Medial Rotation

Turning a bone around its long axis toward the median plane.

Lateral Rotation

Turning a bone around its long axis away from the median plane.

Supination

Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces anteriorly and the radius and ulna are parallel.

Pronation

Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces posteriorly and the radius rotates over the ulna.

Opposition

A special thumb movement that allows touching the thumb to the tips of other fingers on the same hand.

Dorsiflexion

Special movement at the ankle joint that bends the foot superiorly toward the shin.

Plantar Flexion

Special movement at the ankle joint that points the toes downward.

Inversion

Special movement of the foot turning the sole medially.

Eversion

Special movement of the foot turning the sole laterally.

Protraction

Anterior movement of a body part in the lateral plane, such as jutting out the mandible.

Retraction

Posterior movement of a body part in the lateral plane, such as pulling the mandible back toward the neck.

Plane Joint

A synovial joint with flat articular surfaces that allows nonaxial gliding movements.

Hinge Joint

A synovial joint with a cylinder and trough arrangement that permits uniaxial flexion and extension.

Pivot Joint

A synovial joint featuring a rounded bone fitting into a sleeve or ring, permitting uniaxial rotation.

Condylar Joint

A synovial joint with oval articular surfaces fitting into complementary depressions, permitting biaxial angular movements.

Saddle Joint

A synovial joint in which both articular surfaces have concave and convex areas, permitting biaxial movement.

Ball-and-Socket Joint

A synovial joint with a spherical head fitting into a cup-like socket, permitting multiaxial movement in all planes.

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

A modified hinge joint formed by the mandibular condyle and temporal bone, noted as the most easily dislocated joint in the body.

Glenoid Labrum

A fibrocartilaginous rim around the glenoid cavity of the scapula that deepens the socket for the head of the humerus.

Rotator Cuff

A stabilizing group of four muscle tendons (subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor) encircling the shoulder joint.

Acetabular Labrum

A rim of fibrocartilage surrounding the acetabulum that enhances the depth of the hip socket.

Ligament of Head of Femur (Ligamentum Teres)

An intracapsular hip ligament that runs from the fovea capitis to the acetabulum and carries an artery supplying the head of the femur.

Tibiofemoral Joint

The hinge joint of the knee between the femoral condyles and the lateral and medial menisci of the tibia.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)

An intracapsular knee ligament attaching to the anterior tibia that prevents forward sliding of the tibia and stops hyperextension.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL)

An intracapsular knee ligament attaching to the posterior tibia that prevents backward sliding of the tibia and forward sliding of the femur.

Unhappy Triad

A common severe knee injury resulting in rupture of the tibial collateral ligament, rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, and tearing of the medial meniscus.

Sprain

A joint injury caused by stretching or tearing of reinforcing ligaments.

Subluxation

A partial dislocation of a joint.

Bursitis

Inflammation of a bursa usually caused by a blow or friction.

Tendonitis

Inflammation of tendon sheaths typically caused by overuse.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

The most common chronic wear-and-tear arthritis in which articular cartilage is broken down faster than it is replaced.

Osteophytes

Bone spurs that form from thickened ends of bones in patients with osteoarthritis.

Crepitus

A crunching noise made by stiff joints upon movement due to roughened articular surfaces.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

A chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease of unknown cause where the body's immune system attacks its own joint tissues.

Pannus

An abnormal, thickened tissue formed by an inflamed synovial membrane in rheumatoid arthritis that clings to and erodes articular cartilage.

Ankylosis

Extreme joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis where scar tissue fuses articulating bone ends together, immobilizing the joint.

Gouty Arthritis

Joint inflammation triggered by the deposition of uric acid crystals in joints and soft tissues, commonly affecting the base of the great toe.

Lyme Disease

An inflammatory disease caused by bacteria transmitted through tick bites, causing symptoms like a rash, flu-like symptoms, and potential arthritis.