Joints – General
Joints are more or less flexible connections between at least two bone surfaces. There are different types of joints, which can differ in their structure and range of motion. From an anatomical point of view, they can be roughly divided into “real” and “fake” joints, in which again subtypes can be distinguished from each other.
- “Real joints” are so-called diarthroses, which have the following characteristics: at least two bony parts of the joint gap between the bony joint capsule with the so-called synovial membrane, which is located inside the joint cartilage. Real joints include ball-and-socket joints such as the shoulder joint or hip joint, saddle joints such as the thumb saddle joint or egg joints such as the first head joint. Overall, they have a greater freedom of movement than fake joints.
- At least two bone portions
- Joint gap between the bones
- Joint capsule with the so-called synovial membrane, which lies on the inside
- Articular cartilage
- In addition, they may also contain menisci, ligaments and, for example, intervertebral discs.
- At least two bone portions
- Joint gap between the bones
- Joint capsule with the so-called synovial membrane, which lies on the inside
- Articular cartilage
- In addition, they may also contain menisci, ligaments and, for example, intervertebral discs.
- The synarthroses are called “fake joints”, which are also called “sticking joints”.
These are bony connections that do not have the typical components of a real joint (see above) but can be displaced against each other. They are usually connected quite tightly by cartilage (synchondroses), ligaments (syndesmoses) or bones (synostoses). False joints are found, for example, in the cartilaginous connection of the ribs with the sternum or in the taut connection between ulna and radius.
Joint pain can have many different causes.
In general, they are often signs of wear and tear, which mainly occur with age. But injuries, fractures, incorrect strain and inflammatory diseases can also cause joint pain. Their occurrence is possible in every age group, whereby often rather older people are affected. There are various therapeutic approaches for the treatment of joint pain, which are based on the specific causes and the exact symptomatology of the complaints. Such therapies often include various components such as painkillers, sports exercises, physiotherapy and even surgery.
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