Physio I Lecture 21 - Tendons, Joints & Ligaments - Solutions

Tendon

Connects muscle to bone.

Sharpey’s fibers

Perforating fibers that attach tendons to bone.

Types of tendons

Strap or cordlike, sheet like (aponeurosis).

Composition of tendons

Mostly Type I collagen, small amounts of reticular and elastic fibers, proteoglycans, and tenocytes.

Energy storing tendons

Tendons with a higher proportion of elastic fibers, such as the Achilles tendon.

Paratenon

A covering of loose connective tissue for tendons without synovial sheaths.

Synovial sheath

A double membrane surrounding tendons that go through a synovial joint or narrow spaces.

Function of ligaments

Hold bones together and stabilize joints.

Composition of ligaments

70-80% collagen fibers, 1-10% reticular fibers, 1-5% elastic fibers, and no specialized cells.

Differences between tendons and ligaments

Tendons have more collagen and specialized fibroblasts (tenocytes).

Fibrous joints

Connected by dense connective tissue; can be synarthrosis or amphiarthrosis.

Synovial joints

Freely movable joints with a synovial capsule filled with fluid.

Types of synovial joints

Classified based on movements, such as hinge, ball-and-socket, and pivot joints.

Joint capsule

Surrounds the joint, made of fibrous and synovial membranes.

Synovial fluid

Lubricates joints, cushions, and nourishes articular cartilage.

Meniscus

A pad of fibrocartilage located between articular surfaces for shock absorption and stabilization.

Bursa

Synovial membrane sac filled with fluid that cushions between bone and soft tissue.

Type A synoviocytes

Macrophage-like cells that are phagocytic.

Type B synoviocytes

Fibroblastic cells that produce hyaluronic acid for synovial fluid.