A: Carpals (wrist)
B: Metacarpals (palm)
C: Phalanges (fingers)
1: Synovial joint: Plane (= gliding).
It is situated between the carpal bones.
The only movement allowed is gliding. This is characteristic of the plane joint.
The articular surfaces of adjacent bones are flat.
2: Synovial joint: Plane (= gliding).
It is situated between the carpals and the metacarpals of the digits 2 to 5.
The only movement allowed is gliding. This is characteristic of the plane joint.
The articular surfaces of adjacent bones are flat.
3: Synovial joint: Saddle.
It is situated between the carpals and the metacarpals of the first digits.
The movements allowed are
flexion/extension, adduction/abduction and
circumduction. Both saddle and condyloid (= ellipsoidal) joints allow such movements.
However the shapes of its articular surfaces classify it as a saddle joint:
One bone's articular surface is concave in one direction
and convex in the other while the second bone is just
the opposite .
4: Synovial joint: Condyloid (= ellipsoidal).
It is situated between the metacarpals
and the proximal phalanges of the digits 2 to 5.
The movements allowed are
flexion/extension, adduction/abduction and
circumduction. Both saddle and condyloid (= ellipsoidal) joints allow such movements.
The shapes of its articular surfaces classify it as a condyloid joint:
one bone's oval convex surface fits into the oval concavity of the adjacent bone.
4: Synovial joint: Hinge.
It is situated between phalanges.
The only movements allowed are
flexion/extension. This is charateristic of the hinge joint.