AnatomyLesson 2 of 5 in the course Joints

Cartilaginous Joints: Synchondroses, Symphyses, and Growth-Plate Fusion

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

Save course
Lesson progress
0 / 5

Your progress is kept in this browser only.Sign up to save it

Summary

Cartilaginous joints connect bones with cartilage rather than a fluid-filled joint cavity. This lesson introduces their shared features and focuses on synchondroses, in which hyaline cartilage joins bones or joins bone to cartilage.

At a cartilaginous joint, adjacent bones are united by cartilage, a tough but flexible connective tissue. These joints have no joint cavity. The cartilage joining the bones is either hyaline cartilage or fibrocartilage. The type of cartilage determines whether the joint is a synchondrosis or a symphysis.

All flashcards

What is a cartilaginous joint?
A joint in which adjacent bones are united by cartilage, with no joint cavity. The cartilage is hyaline cartilage or fibrocartilage.
What defines a synchondrosis?
A cartilaginous joint in which hyaline cartilage joins bones or unites bone with a hyaline cartilage structure.
What defines a symphysis, and how much movement does it allow?
A cartilaginous joint in which fibrocartilage joins adjacent bones; it allows limited movement.
What is an epiphyseal plate?
A region of hyaline cartilage between the shaft and end of a growing long bone that enables lengthening as cartilage is replaced by bone.
What is a synostosis?
A bony union formed when previously separate bone portions fuse, as when a growth plate is replaced by bone.

Quiz questions

  1. Which type of cartilage joins bones in a symphysis?Answer: Fibrocartilage joins the adjacent bones.
  2. How are symphyses classified by the movement they permit?Answer: They are amphiarthroses, permitting limited movement.
  3. What is a key role of the intervertebral discs between vertebral bodies?Answer: They unite the vertebrae, cushion them, and allow small movements.
  4. Why can an epiphyseal plate appear as a dark gap on an X-ray of a growing long bone?Answer: Its cartilage is less dense than bone and lies near the bone's end.
  5. What type of joint connects the first rib's costal cartilage to the manubrium?Answer: It is a synchondrosis; the second through seventh sternochondral joints are synovial.

Based on Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts, Kelly A. Young, James A. Wise, Eddie Johnson, Brandon Poe, Dean H. Kruse, Oksana Korol, Jody E. Johnson, Mark Womble, Peter DeSaix (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

More in Anatomy

All Anatomy lessons
AnatomyAnterolateral Abdominal Wall, Respiratory Muscles, and Pelvic Floor5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →AnatomyPeripheral Nervous System: Ganglia, Nerves, and Neural Pathways5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →AnatomyPectoral Girdle Anatomy: Clavicle, Scapula, and Shoulder Joints5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →AnatomySkeletal Muscle Roles, Fascicle Arrangements, and Lever Systems5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →AnatomyMuscles of the Pelvic Girdle, Thigh, Leg, and Foot5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →AnatomyPericardial Structure, Anatomical Relationships, and Common Disorders5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →