Library · Anatomy
Synovial joint
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Synovial joints are the ones that move freely, and their other name is diarthrosis. Their main job is to keep bones from rubbing against each other as they move.
What sets them apart is that they have a space inside, the joint cavity. That space is not open to the air: the joint capsule, a fibrous connective tissue anchored to the bones that form the joint, surrounds it and closes it off.
Inside the cavity there is synovial fluid, made by the synovial membrane, the layer that lines the inside of the capsule. It is a hinge that brings its own oil inside a closed bag.
Some carry extra pieces. In the knee, for example, there is fibrocartilage between the bones: those pads are the menisci. And there is usually a brake: the ligaments, the bands that tie bone to bone, set how far each joint can move.
In brief
Synovial joints are freely movable, or diarthroses, and their main job is to prevent friction between bones as they move.
They are defined by the joint cavity, surrounded by the capsule, a fibrous connective tissue anchored to the bones that form the joint.
The cavity holds synovial fluid, secreted by the synovial membrane that lines the capsule.
A hinge that brings its own oil inside a closed bag.
Some include fibrocartilage, such as the menisci of the knee, and ligaments usually limit how far each joint moves.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAnatomy, Joints, StatPearlsPublished
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