Upper limb

23

Joints of the upper limb, Articulationes membri superioris

23.1

Joints of the shoulder girdle

Name of joint	Type of joint	Types of movements
Medial clavicular joint Articulatio sternoclavicularis, Articulationes cinguli pectoralis	uneven articular surfaces, Articulatio irregularis, functionally: spheroidal joint, (characteristic: Discus articularis)	• rotation around the sagittal axis (when lifting the shoulder) • rotation around the longitudinal axis of the arm (during anteversion and retroversion of the shoulder) • rotation around the longitudinal axis of the clavicle (when swinging the arm)
Lateral clavicular joint Articulatio acromioclavicularis	planar joint, Articulatio plana, functionally: spheroidal joint, (characteristic: variable, mostly incomplete Discus articularis)	• rotation around a sagittal axis (when lifting the shoulder) • rotation around a transverse axis (when swinging the arm) • rotation around a longitudinal axis (during anteversion and retroversion of the shoulder)

23.2

Joints of the free upper limb, Articulationes membri superioris liberi

Joint name		Joint type	Types of movements
Shoulder joint Articulatio humeri		ball joint, Articulatio spheroidea	• leaning forward, anteversion (bending, flexion) • leaning backward, retroversion (stretching, extension) • lateral raises, abduction • towards the centre of the body, adduction • internal rotation • external rotation • (arm circling, circumduction: combined movement of anteversion, abduction, retroversion, adduction)
Elbow joint Articulatio cubiti	Humeroulnar joint, Articulatio humeroulnaris	hinge joint, ginglymus	• bending, flexion • stretching, extension
	Humeroradial joint, Articulatio humeroradialis	ball joint, Articulatio spheroidea (functionally restricted: no abduction)	• bending, flexion • stretching, extension • arm circling, rotation
	Proximal radioulnar joint, Articulatio radioulnaris proximalis	pivot joint, Articulatio conoidea	turning movements of the hand, pronation and supination
Distal radioulnar joint Articulatio radioulnaris distalis		pivot joint, Articulatio trochoidea	turning movements of the hand, pronation and supination
Hand joints	Proximal hand joint, Articulatio radiocarpalis	ellipsoidal joint, Articulatio ellipsoidea	• sideways movements of the hand, abduction toward ulnar or radial • bending, palmar flexion • stretching, dorsal extension
Hand joints	Distal hand joint, Articulatio mediocarpalis	interlocking hinge joint, ginglymus
Carpometacarpal joint of the thumb Articulatio carpometacarpalis pollicis		saddle joint, Articulatio sellaris	• splaying out, abduction • closing, adduction • opposing, opposition • repositioning, reposition
Carpometacarpal joints II–V Articulationes carpometacarpales II–V		saddle joint, Articulatio sellaris	differ greatly
Metacarpophalangeal joints Articulationes metacarpophalangeae		ball joints, Articulationes spheroideae (functionally restricted)	• bending, flexion • stretching, extension • splaying out, abduction* • closing, adduction* (* related to the middle finger)
Metacarpophalangeal joints Articulationes metacarpophalangeae		hinge joints, ginglymi	• bending, flexion • stretching, extension

23.3

Planes and axes of movement of joints of the upper limb

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 2

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