Synovial Joints (OCR GCSE Physical Education (PE)): Revision Note

Types of synovial joint

• A joint is where two or more bones meet  

• There are 3 types of joints in the body; fixed, slightly movable, and freely moveable

• Freely moveable joints are known as synovial joints  

  • They allow for the wide range of movement needed when participating in sport 

  • They have a joint capsule to strengthen the joint and synovial fluid to prevent friction 

• Synovial joints can be categorised depending on the type of movement that they allow and there are two types: 

  • hinge joint  

  • ball-and-socket joint 

Hinge joints 

• These allow movement in one plane in an 'open and closed' motion just like the hinge on a door frame

  • This type of motion is called flexion and extension  

• There are two hinge joints in the body: 

  • Elbow: the humerus, radius and ulna articulate to perform movements such as throwing a javelin or a biceps curl  

  • Knee: the femur and tibia articulate to perform movements such as running or kicking a football 

Ball and socket joints 

• These joints allow for a much wider range of movement in all three planes  

• A ball-shaped end of one bone fits into a cup- shaped socket in another 

• There are two ball and socket joints in the body: 

  • Shoulder: the scapula and humerus articulate to perform movement such as bowling in cricket or serving in tennis 

  • Hip: the pelvis and femur articulate to perform movements such as the leg action during the breaststroke or a straddle jump in trampolining