Types of Joints

The Joints

Fibrous

Fibrous joints connect bones without allowing any movement. The bones of your skull and pelvis are held together by fibrous joints. The union of the spinous processes and vertebrae are fibrous joints.

Cartilaginous

Synovial

* to enclose within fixed limits

Hinge A hinge joint allows extension and retraction of an apendage.	Saddle A saddle joint allows movement back and forth and up and down, bot does not allow for rotation like a ball and socket joint.
Ball and Socket A ball and socket joint allows for radial movment in almost any direction. They are found in the hips and shoulders.	Ellipsoid Ellipsoid joints are similar to a ball and socket joint. They allow the same type of movment to a lesser magnitude. The wrist is an ellipsoid joint.
Pivot Pivot joints allow rotation arround an axis. The neck and forearms have pivot joints. In the neck the occipital bone spins over the top of the axis. In the forearms the radius and ulna twist arround each other.	Gliding In a gliding or plane joint bones slide past each other. Midcarpal and midtarsal joints are gliding joints