16. What are synovial joints?
Joints like the elbow, knuckles and wrists are made in a fashion to
allow a greater range of movements.
Such joints are known as synovial joints and they are lined with a
slippery coating called synovium.
Some joints in the body allow a limited amount of movement
between the bones. But if the effect of these joints are combined with
neighbouring joints, it results in greater flexibility. The bones in the
wrist, ankle and spinal column are some of such examples. The ends
of the bones in a synovial joint are held together by tough straps
called ligaments. These ligaments bridge the gap between the bones
and are anchored onto them at each end.
The areas, where the bone ends move against each other, are covered
with cartilage or gristle, which is a shiny, smooth and slightly
rubbery material. Cartilage allows the bone ends to slide past each
other with very little friction.
