ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly introduces the structure and function of joints. There are three types of joints, which are defined based on the kind of allowed motion: immovable, slightly movable, and movable. Immovable joints are in the skull, where the bony plate ends (i.e., joints) are linked by fibrous or cartilaginous elements. Slightly movable joints attach the articulating surfaces by broad, flattened discs of fibrocartilage. Most of the joints of the extremities are movable, and they have articular cartilage with an extremely low coefficient of friction to allow a wide range of motion.
