Joints - Anatomy & Physiology

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Joints comprise broadly two categories:

• Synarthroses form joints that are relatively rigid
• Diarthroses form joints that are freely movable

Joint Function:

• Absorb force of impact, transfer force via cartilage to bone
• Allow a variable degree of movement

Fibrous Joints

• Most occur in the skull: known as sutures
  • Key in development: allow extension of individual bones during growth
  • Gradually eliminated as ossification progresses
• Syndesmoses: facing areas of two bones joined by connective tissue ligaments, very limited movement allowed
  • Eg. Joints of the metacarpus in the horse
• Gomphosis: attachment of tooth to bone within its socket

Cartilaginous Joints

• Synchondroses: eg. joints between epiphyses and diaphyses of juvenile long bones, disappear on maturity
  • Permanent synchondroses: the joint between the skull and hyoid
• Symphysis: articulating bones are divided by a succession of tissues, with cartilage covering the bones or the tissue between
  • Eg. mandibular, pelvic, vertebral

Synovial Joints

• Articulating joints are separated by a fluid-filled joint cavity, which is bounded by a synovial membrane
  • Synovial fluid: Nourishes and lubricates articular cartilage
    • Normally in canine joint - 0.01 - 1.0 ml
    • Transparent to light yellow (horses)
    • Usually very thick due to high hyaluronic acid, forms strands
    • Windrowing of cells on smear
    • Normal protein < 25g/l (all species)
    • Normal cell count: Large mononuclear cells, <12% neutrophils, <11% lymphocytes
      • Small animals - < 3 x 10e9/L
      • Horses - < 0.5 x 10e9/L
      • Cows - < 1 x 10e9/L
• Often the synovial membrane is reinforced by a fibrous capsule and ligaments restricting joint movement and providing stability
  • Outer fibrous layer
    • Encloses bone and muscle insertions within joint capsule
    • Supplied by blood vessels and nerve endings
  • Inner synovial layer
    • Covers surfeces except for articular cartilage
    • Very thin
    • Has surface projections - villi
• Articular Cartilage covers the articular surfaces
  • Usually, this is Hyaline, although Fibrocartilage or fibrous tissue can substitute

Normal joint cartilage (Image sourced from Bristol Biomed Image Archive with permission)

• • Limited response to injury, Little repair capacity

• In large animals - normal bilaterally symmetrical depressions on the surface
• Obtains nutrition from synovial fluid and less so from subchondral vessels

Microscopically, surface has depressions - for synovial fluid?

• In young animals overlies epiphyseal cartilage

Joint Pathology

For links to joint pathology, go here