fibrocartilaginous joint
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sym·phy·sis
, gen.sym·phy·ses
(sim'fi-sis, -sēz), [TA]1. Form of cartilaginous joint in which union between two bones is effected by means of fibrocartilage. Synonym(s): amphiarthrosis
2. A union, meeting point, or commissure of any two structures.
3. A pathologic adhesion or growing together.
Synonym(s): secondary cartilaginous joint ☆ , fibrocartilaginous joint
[G. a growing together]
fibrocartilaginous joint
See symphysis, def. 1.
joint
the site of the junction or union of two or more bones of the body. See also arthritis. The primary functions of joints are to provide motion and flexibility to the skeletal frame, or to allow growth.
Some joints are immovable, such as certain fixed joints where segments of bone are fused together in the skull. Other joints, such as those between the vertebrae, have extremely limited motion. However, most joints allow considerable motion.
Many joints have a complex internal structure. They are composed not merely of ends of bones but also of ligaments, which are tough whitish fibers binding the bones together; cartilage, which is connective tissue, covering and cushioning the bone ends; the articular capsule, a fibrous tissue that encloses the ends of the bones; and the synovial membrane, which lines the capsule and secretes a lubricating fluid (synovia).
Joints are classified by variations in structure that make different kinds of movement possible. The movable joints are usually subdivided into hinge, pivot, gliding, ball-and-socket, condyloid and saddle joints.
For a complete named list of joints in the body see Table 11.
arthrodial joint
gliding joint.
ball-and-socket joint
a synovial joint in which the rounded or spheroidal surface of one bone ('ball') moves within a cup-shaped depression ('socket') on another bone, allowing greater freedom of movement than any other type of joint. Called also spheroidal joint.
biaxial joint
permits movement around two axes.
cartilaginous joint
one in which the bones are united by cartilage, providing either slight flexible movement or allowing growth; it includes symphyses and synchondroses.
condyloid joint
one in which an ovoid head of one bone moves in an elliptical cavity of another, permitting all movements except axial rotation. Called also condylar joint.
congenital joint disease
joint contracture
see contracture.
degenerative joint disease
a disease of the joints of all species and all ages but reaching a particularly high prevalence in pen-fed young bulls in which it is characterized by the sudden onset of lameness in a hindlimb, with pain and crepitus in the hip joint and rapid wasting of the muscles of the croup and thigh. There is a family predisposition to this degenerative arthropathy; it is exacerbated by a diet high in phosphorus and low in calcium and dense in energy so that the bull has a high body weight and is growing fast. The onset is acute and often precipitated by fighting or mating. The disease may not develop until 3 or 4 years of age in bulls that are reared at pasture. Called also coxofemoral arthropathy. See also hip dysplasia.
diarthrodial joint
synovial joint.
joint disease
ellipsoid joint
circumference of the joint is an ellipse with the articular surfaces longer in one direction than the other.
joint enlargement
includes arthritis, arthropathy, rickets.
facet j's
the synovial joints of the vertebral column between the neural arches.
fibrocartilaginous joint
a combination of fibrous and cartilaginous joints. Called also amphiarthrosis. Movement limited and variable.
fibrous joint
one in which the bones are connected by fibrous tissue; it includes suture, syndesmosis and gomphosis.
joint fixation
includes ankylosis, tendon contracture, arthrogryposis.
fixed joint
see synarthrosis.
flail joint
an unusually mobile joint.
fleshy joint
see sarcoarthrosis.
joint fusion
arthrodesis.
ginglymus joint
see hinge joint (below).
gliding joint
a synovial joint in which the opposed surfaces are flat or only slightly curved, so that the bones slide against each other in a simple and limited way. The synovial intervertebral joints are gliding joints, and many of the small bones of the carpus and tarsus meet in gliding joints. Called also arthrodial joint and plane joint.
hinge joint
a synovial joint that allows movement in only one plane, through the presence of a pair of collateral ligaments that run on either side of the joint. Examples are the elbow and the interphalangeal joints of the digits. The jaw is primarily a hinge joint, but it can also move somewhat from side to side. The carpal and tarsal joints are hinge joints that also allow some rotary movement. Called also ginglymus.
hip joint
the joint between the head of the femur and the acetabulum of the hip bone; loosely called hip.
hyaline cartilage joint
see cartilaginous joint (above).
joint hyperextension
joint can be extended beyond the normal position.
joint hypermobility
usually a congenital defect with all joints affected. Degree varies from extreme, in which limbs can be tied in knots and animal unable to stand, to mild, in which the patient is able to walk but the gait is abnormal. There may be additional defects such as pink teeth lacking enamel and dermatosparaxis (hyperelastosis cutis). See also hereditary collagen dysplasia.
knee joint
1. the joint between the femur and tibia, fibula and patella.
2. in large ungulates the compound joint between the radius, ulna, carpus and metacarpus.
joint mouse
fragments of cartilage or bone that lie free in the joint space. See also joint mouse.
osseous joint
inflexible joint composed of bone; called also synostosis.
pivot joint
a joint in which one bone pivots within a bony or an osseoligamentous ring, allowing only rotary movement; an example is the joint between the first and second cervical vertebrae (the atlas and axis).
plane joint
see gliding joint (above).
joint receptors
sensory nerve endings capable of detecting the position or angle of the joint.
saddle joint
the articulating surfaces are reciprocally saddle-shaped and permit movement of all kinds, though not rotation, e.g. interphalangeal joints in the dog.
spheroidal joint
see ball-and-socket joint (above).
synarthrodial joint
a fixed joint.
synovial joint
a specialized form of articulation permitting more or less free movement, the union of the bony elements being surrounded by an articular capsule enclosing a cavity lined by synovial membrane. Called also diarthrosis and diarthrodial joint.
trochoid joint
see pivot joint (above).
uniaxial joint
permits movement in one direction only.