Diarthrosis Joints - Freely Moveable Joints

Name of Joint

Description

Examples

Primary Movements

Gliding or Arthroidial

Bones are usually flat. Simplest type of movement at a joint.

Between carpals and tarsals, ribs glide on vertebrae, clavical glides on the sternum and scapula.

Side-to-side and back-and-forth movements.

Hinge or ginglymus

Convex surface of one bone fits into concave surface of other.

Knee, elbow, ankle, interphalangeal joints.

Typically in one plane- flexion and extension.

Pivot or Trochoid

Rounded or pointed surface of one bone articulates within a ring surface of another.

Between the atlas and axis (neck), and the ulna and radius (forearm).

Rotation- one plane.

Condyloid or Ellipsoidal

Oval shape of one bone fits into an elliptical cavity of another.

At the wrist between the radius and carpals.

Side-to-side and back-and-forth movements- in 2 planes. Can combine into circumduction which is multiplanar.

Saddle or Sellaris

One bone is saddle shaped and the other is shaped like the legs of a rider sitting in the saddle.

Joint in the thumb by the wrist. It is a modified condyloid joint. Allows opposition of the thumb.

Side-to-side and back-and-forth movements- slightly freer than a condyloid joint.

Ball and Socket or Spheriod

Ball like surface of one bone to a cup like depression of the other.

Shoulder and Hip

Permit movement in all 3 planes. Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation, and circumduction.