Synovial joints allow a wide range of motion, which can be classified into four main types. According to the reference material, the types of movement at synovial joints are: gliding, angular, rotational, or special movement.
Types of Movement at Synovial Joints
Here's a detailed look at each type:
Gliding Movement
- Description: This is the simplest type of movement, where one flat bone surface glides or slips over another similar surface.
- Example: Intercarpal and intertarsal joints allow gliding movements.
Angular Movements
Angular movements increase or decrease the angle between two bones. These movements include:
- Flexion: Decreases the angle of the joint and brings the articulating bones closer together.
- Example: Bending the elbow.
- Extension: Increases the angle of the joint and straightens the articulating bones.
- Example: Straightening the elbow.
- Hyperextension: Excessive extension beyond the normal range of motion.
- Example: Bending the trunk backward.
- Abduction: Movement of a limb away from the midline of the body.
- Example: Raising the arm laterally.
- Adduction: Movement of a limb toward the midline of the body.
- Example: Bringing the arm back to the side of the body.
- Circumduction: Movement in a circular manner, involving flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction sequentially.
- Example: Moving the arm in a circle.
Rotational Movement
- Description: This involves the turning of a bone around its longitudinal axis.
- Example:
- Medial rotation: Rotating the thigh or arm toward the midline.
- Lateral rotation: Rotating the thigh or arm away from the midline.
Special Movements
These are movements that occur at specific joints and do not fit neatly into the other categories:
- Pronation: Rotating the forearm so the palm faces posteriorly or inferiorly.
- Supination: Rotating the forearm so the palm faces anteriorly or superiorly.
- Dorsiflexion: Lifting the foot so that its superior surface approaches the shin.
- Plantar flexion: Depressing the foot (pointing the toes).
- Inversion: Turning the sole of the foot medially.
- Eversion: Turning the sole of the foot laterally.
- Protraction: Moving a body part anteriorly in the transverse plane.
- Example: Jutting out the jaw.
- Retraction: Moving a body part posteriorly in the transverse plane.
- Example: Pulling the jaw backward.
- Elevation: Lifting a body part superiorly.
- Example: Shrugging the shoulders.
- Depression: Moving a body part inferiorly.
- Example: Lowering the shoulders.
- Opposition: Touching the thumb to the tips of the other fingers on the same hand.
