Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNumber of JointsAnatomyCategories and TypesConditionsImproving Health
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Number of Joints
Anatomy
Categories and Types
Conditions
Improving Health
Joints are the connection points between two or more bones. They’re made up of bone as well as soft tissues like ligaments, cartilage, and tendons.
All joints help hold your bones together, and most allow you to move in different ways. For example, a ball-and-socket joint, like the one that joins your arm to your shoulder, allows you to move your arm up, down, and around. A hinge joint, like your knee, allows you to move back and forth.
This article discusses the different types of joints and their anatomy. It also discusses how they move and the conditions that can affect them.
Luis Alvarez / Getty Images
How Many Joints Are in the Human Body?
You are are born with about 300 bones. As you grow, some of these bones fuse together. By the time you reach adulthood, you have 206 bones.A humanadultbody has 360 joints. Some joints are immovable (like the sutures in your skull), and some allow various types of movement.
Some of the main areas that you have joints include:
Anatomy of a Joint
Joints are made up of bone, soft tissues, and fluid. These all play a role in providing structure and protection for the joint.
Components of a joint include:
Categories of Joints
Joints are commonly categorized according to whether they allow motion. These categories of movement are:
Types of Movable Joints
Diarthoses (synovial joints) allow the most movement and are the most common joints in mammals. The six different types of these joints are:
Joint Diseases and Conditions
The following are just some of the examples of conditions and injuries that can affect your joints.
Arthritis Conditions
Arthritisis one of the most common conditions to affect the joints. In the United States, more than 58 million people, or 24% of all adults, have arthritis.
With arthritis, there is swelling and inflammation in your joints. There are more than 100 different kinds of arthritis that affect your joints and the tissues around them.
Some of the most common types of arthritis areosteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis, andgout.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder with over 32 million people affected.When you have osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down. If all of the cartilage wears away, the bones will rub against each other.
Although osteoarthritis can affect any joint, it is most common in the hands, lower back, neck, knees, hips, and feet. It particularly affects joints that bear weight regularly.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis can develop at any age and affect any joint in your body. It typically involves the wrists, knuckles, and the middle joints of the fingers.
Gout
Goutis another form of inflammatory arthritis.It occurs when uric acid builds up and forms needle-like crystals in your joints.
Gout usually attacks joints in the big toes, heels, ankles, fingers, wrists, and elbows.
Non-Arthritis Conditions
Lupus
Lupusis another autoimmune disease. It can lead to chronic inflammation that includes joint stiffness and pain.
Sjögren’s Disease
Sjögren’s disease(previously known as Sjögren’s syndrome) is an autoimmune disease that affects the glands that make moisture. Its symptoms include dry eyes and dry mouth, but it also causes joint pain.
Bursitis
Sprains or Strains
Sprains are stretched or torn ligaments around the joint. Strains are stretched or torn muscles or tendons, which could be from a sudden injury or from overuse.
Joint Pain Causes and Treatment Options
Improving Your Joint Health
There are a number of ways tokeep your joints healthy. Here are some tips to protect your joints and reduce strain:
Some studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Fish and fish oil supplements are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which produce modest benefits and may reduce inflammation.
Summary
Your joints hold your bones together and allow you to move. Some joints are fixed, some allow slight movement, and others are freely moving.
A Word From Verywell
If you have a joint condition like arthritis, you may be experiencing pain and stiffness that make it hard to stay active. Ask your doctor about ways to help manage your pain and other symptoms. They can help you find ways to do daily activities and increase your quality of life.
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of a joint.
Nemours KidsHealth.Your bones.
Takiyama K, Yokoyama H, Kaneko N, Nakazawa K.Speed-dependent and mode-dependent modulations of spatiotemporal modules in human locomotion extracted via tensor decomposition.Scientific Reports. 2020;10(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-020-57513-w
Yakut Y, Tuncer A.Architecture of human joints and their movement.Comparative Kinesiology of the Human Body. 2020;47-57. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-812162-7.00004-7
Warhadpande S.Anatomy of a joint. In: Eltorai AEM, Hyman CH, Healey TT, eds.Essential Radiology Review. Springer International Publishing; 2019:445-446.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Arthritis basics.
Cedars Sinai.Arthritis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.
Arthritis Foundation.Osteoarthritis.
Arthritis Foundation.Rheumatoid arthritis: causes, symptoms, treatments, and more.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.
National Library of Medicine.Joint disorders.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease.Lupus.
Zhan Q, Zhang J, Lin Y, Chen W, Fan X, Zhang D.Pathogenesis and treatment of Sjogren’s syndrome: review and update.Front Immunol. 2023;14:1127417. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1127417
National Health Service.Bursitis.
National Library of Medicine.Sprains and strains.
Davis AM, Davis KD, Skou ST, Roos EM.Why is exercise effective in reducing pain in people with osteoarthritis?Curr Treat Options in Rheum. 2020;6(3):146-159. doi:10.1007/s40674-020-00154-x
Bliddal H, Leeds AR, Christensen R.Osteoarthritis, obesity and weight loss: evidence, hypotheses and horizons – a scoping review.Obes Rev. 2014;15(7):578-586. doi:10.1111/obr.12173
Clinton CM, O’Brien S, Law J, Renier CM, Wendt MR.Whole-foods, plant-based diet alleviates the symptoms of osteoarthritis.Arthritis. 2015;2015:1-9. doi:10.1155/2015/708152
Kostoglou-Athanassiou I, Athanassiou L, Athanassiou P.The effect of omega-3 fatty acids on rheumatoid arthritis.MJR. 2020;31(2):190. doi:10.31138/mjr.31.2.190
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