A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link the skeletal system into a functional whole. They are constructed to allow for different degrees and types of movement.
What is meant by articular surfaces?
Articular surfaces are formed by specialized hyaline cartilage, which provides a wear-resistant, low-friction lubricated surface that is compressible and elastic and accommodates enormous forces of compression and shear during weight bearing and muscle action.
What is the function of the articular surfaces?
The shape of articular surfaces of bones helps define the motions available for a joint. Articular surfaces of two bones forming a joint are usually concave on one bone and convex on the other bone. Some articular surfaces are flat. Occasionally adjacent bones are convex on both joint surfaces.
What is an example of an articular surface?
The surface of a joint at which the ends of the bones meet. Joints may be classified based on the articulation surfaces involved: simple joints – when two articulation surfaces meet (e.g. shoulder joint)
What is the articular surface made of?
Articular cartilage is hyaline cartilage and is 2 to 4 mm thick. Unlike most tissues, articular cartilage does not have blood vessels, nerves, or lymphatics. It is composed of a dense extracellular matrix (ECM) with a sparse distribution of highly specialized cells called chondrocytes.
What is the articular surface of the knee?
The articular surfaces of the knee are curved and represented by the medial and lateral femoral condyles, which are connected with the corresponding tibial plateaus. The medial tibial plateau is biconcave, unlike the lateral that is concave on the front plane and convex in the sagittal plane.
What does articular mean in anatomy?
: of or relating to a joint.
Can articular cartilage regenerate?
Regenerating cartilage Although articular cartilage is not capable of regrowing or healing itself, the bone tissue underneath it can. By making small cuts and abrasions to the bone underneath the area of damaged cartilage, doctors stimulate new growth.
Can articular cartilage be repaired?
Articular cartilage cannot be repaired directly but we can undertake various procedures that can help it to heal and repair itself. The simplest procedures involve inspecting the cartilage arthroscopically and removing loose fragments or smoothing down rough surfaces.
Why is articular cartilage an important part of long bone structure?
Why is articular cartilage an important part of long bone structure? Articular cartilage allows bones to rub together with reduced friction at joints.
What is non articular surface?
Medical Definition of nonarticular : affecting or involving soft tissues (as muscles and connective tissues) rather than joints nonarticular rheumatic disorders.
What is the articular surface of the foot?
The articular surfaces involved in the ankle joint are covered by hyaline cartilage. The talar articulating surface for the tibial medial malleolus is flat and comma shaped, whereas the articulating surface for the lateral malleolus of the fibula is concave and triangular.
What is articular cartilage?
The bones that meet at synovial joints are covered with a thin layer of cartilage known as articular cartilage. (Articular simply means “having to do with joints.”) Articular cartilage forms a smooth, durable covering (almost the consistency of linoleum) at the end of each bone in the joint.
How many articular surfaces does the fibula have?
The body of the fibula presents four borders – the antero-lateral, the antero-medial, the postero-lateral, and the postero-medial; and four surfaces – anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral.
How many articular surfaces does the tibia have?
[4] There are five surfaces that make up the distal tibia. The inferior surface provides a smooth articulation with the talus. The anterior surface is covered by extensor tendons and provides an area for ankle joint capsule attachment. The posterior surface has a groove for the tibialis posterior muscle.
Where is the articular system?
Articular System – Fact. The articular system deals with joints of the body and the surrounding tissues. Components of articular system: Ligaments: band of fibrous tissue that connects 2 bones and provides the attachment for the cartilage, fascia and muscle.
Which type of cartilage forms the articular surface on bones?
Hyaline cartilage provides mechanical support for the respiratory tree, nose, articular surfaces, and developing bones.
What is the best material for knee replacement?
Cobalt-Chromium Alloys— Chromium alloys are one of the most commonly used materials in implant components. This metal is biocompatible, tough, durable and will not be broken down inside the body.
What happens when articular cartilage is damaged?
Once damaged, articular cartilage will not heal on its own. And over time, the cartilage breaks down and the underlying bone reacts. As the bone stiffens and develops bone spurs (osteophytes), the joints become inflamed and swollen, which damages the cartilage even more, leading to pain, swelling or loss of motion.
How do you heal a torn meniscus naturally?
- Rest the knee.
- Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling.
- Compress your knee.
- Elevate your knee with a pillow under your heel when you’re sitting or lying down.
- Take anti-inflammatory medications.
- Use stretching and strengthening exercises to help reduce stress to your knee.
What is the difference between articular cartilage and the meniscus?
Recap. There are two types of cartilage in the knee. The articular cartilage covers the bone ends. The meniscus sits between bone ends to provide a cushion for the joint.
What is an articular fracture?
An articular or periarticular fracture happens when a bone breaks inside or around a joint. These injuries often damage cartilage at the ends of bones (articular cartilage) and other joint tissues, requiring special care.
What is another word for articular?
In this page you can discover 15 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for articular, like: articulary, osteochondral, trabecular, interosseous, chondral, cartilage, soft-tissue, osseous, medial, serosal and calcaneum.
What is an articular process?
The articular processes or zygapophyses (Greek ζυγον = “yoke” (because it links two vertebrae) + απο = “away” + φυσις = “process”) of a vertebra are projections of the vertebra that serve the purpose of fitting with an adjacent vertebra.
How long does articular cartilage take to heal?
The initial recovery may include an extended period of touch down or non-weight bearing with crutches, as well as the use of a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine. Full recovery from a microfracture technique typically takes at least 6-12 months.