ball and socket joint

ball and sock·et joint

a multiaxial synovial joint in which a more or less extensive sphere on the head of one bone fits into a rounded cavity in the other bone, as in the hip joint.

Synonym(s): articulatio spheroidea [TA], enarthrosis ☆ , spheroidal joint ☆ , articulatio cotylica, cotyloid joint, enarthrodial joint, socket joint, spheroid articulation

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

ball-and-socket joint

The most freely movable type of synovial joint, in which the ball-like end of one bone (e.g., the humerus, femur) is surrounded by a spherical cartilaginous encasement, or “socket” (e.g., hip joint), or a group of structures that act as a functionally spherical encasement (e.g., shoulder joint), which allows free mobility of the articulating bone.

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.