How does hinge joint work

The shape of the joint affects the type of movement permitted by the joint Figure 1. These joints can be described as planar, hinge, pivot, condyloid, saddle, or ball-and-socket joints. Figure 1. Different types of joints allow different types of movement. Planar, hinge, pivot, condyloid, saddle, and ball-and-socket are all types of synovial joints. Planar joints have bones with articulating surfaces that are flat or slightly curved faces.

These joints allow for gliding movements, and so the joints are sometimes referred to as gliding joints. The range of motion is limited in these joints and does not involve rotation. Planar joints are found in the carpal bones in the hand and the tarsal bones of the foot, as well as between vertebrae Figure 2. Figure 2. The joints of the carpal bones in the wrist are examples of planar joints. In hinge joints , the slightly rounded end of one bone fits into the slightly hollow end of the other bone.

Your feet have the same three types of hinge joints as your hands. Metatarsophalangeal joints connect the tarsals foot bones with the bottom phalanges, proximal interphalangeal joints connect the first and second phalanges and distal interphalangeal joints connect the second and third phalanges. Just like your thumb, the big toe only has two phalanges, so it doesn't have a distal interphalangeal joint.

There are two large hinge joints in the knee: the tibiofemoral joint, which attaches your thigh femur to your lower leg tibia , and the patellofemoral joint, which attaches the femur to the patella kneecap. The knee joint is the largest joint in the human body. It is technically a modified hinge joint since you can rotate your knee slightly. Your ankle joint is another type of hinge joint that is responsible for the motion of your feet at the ankles.

The hinge joint location of the ankle is made up of three separate joints:. Like the knee joint, this hinge joint is rather unique in that it allows for some side-to-side movement.

However, it functions primarily in an open-and-close movement. The temporomandibular joint in your jaw is a special joint with many different functions. It can function as a hinge joint when it allows you to open and close your mouth. The elbow is a more complex hinge joint that forms between the humerus of the upper arm and the ulna and radius of the forearm.

The elbow is subjected to much stronger forces than the knuckles of the fingers and toes, and thus contains several strong accessory ligaments and unique bone structures that reinforce its structure. The ulnar and radial collateral ligaments help to hold the ulna and radius to the humerus and reinforce the joint. Extending from the end of the ulna, the olecranon is a bony process that forms the tip of the elbow and fits into a notch in the humerus known as the olecranon fossa.

The olecranon limits the extension of the elbow to around degrees before locking into the olecranon fossa. Joints are places where bones meet.

The body contains several different types of joint. Some joints have limited movements, such as those between the vertebrae, whereas others are more mobile, including the joints in the fingers and toes. Hinge joints are those that allow movement along one plane. They facilitate bending and straightening actions, such as flexing a finger. In a hinge joint, protective cartilage covers the bones, and a thick gel called synovial fluid lubricates them, allowing them to move without rubbing against one another.

All hinge joints also contain muscles, ligaments, and other tissues that stabilize the joint. Hinge joints are more stable than ball-and-socket joints, which include the shoulder and hip joints.

However, ball-and-socket joints allow a greater range of movement along more than one plane. Below is a 3D model of a hinge joint which is fully interactive.

Explore the model using your mouse pad or touchscreen to understand more about hinge joints. As with other joints in the body, a person can develop osteoarthritis in a hinge joint. The hinge joints that osteoarthritis most commonly affects are the knees, hands, and feet.

Stiff, painful joints are a hallmark of osteoarthritis. This stiffness develops when the protective cartilage that covers the bones in a joint breaks down, causing pain and swelling. Although hinge joints are relatively stable, people can dislocate them. A dislocation occurs when a bone in the joint moves out of place.