What are fibrous joints and how do they differ from other joint types?

Fibrous joints are connections between bones made of fibrous connective tissue, lacking a joint cavity. They are generally immovable or allow only slight movement, unlike synovial joints which are freely movable.

What are the three main types of fibrous joints?

The three main types are sutures (in the skull, with subtypes like serrate and squamous), syndesmoses (connected by more fibrous tissue, allowing slight movement, e.g., tibiofibular joint), and gomphoses (peg-and-socket joints for teeth in the jaw).

Where are sutures located and what are their subtypes?

Sutures are immovable joints confined to the skull. Subtypes include serrate suture (e.g., sagittal suture), squamous suture (e.g., temporoparietal suture), and others like plane, denticulate, and schindylesis sutures.

What is a syndesmosis joint and can you give examples?

A syndesmosis is a fibrous joint with more connective tissue than sutures, allowing slight movement. Examples include the inferior tibiofibular joint and the interosseous membrane between the radius and ulna.

What is a gomphosis and where is it found in the body?

A gomphosis is a peg-and-socket fibrous joint found exclusively between the roots of teeth and the alveolar sockets of the mandible and maxilla, held by the periodontal ligament.

What clinical conditions are associated with fibrous joints?

Key conditions include synostosis (ossification of sutures in old age, making skulls more brittle) and periodontitis (inflammation of the periodontal ligament in gomphosis, leading to tooth loss).

Fibrous Joints – Sutures, Syndesmosis & Gomphosis