What are synovial joints?
Joints like the elbow, knuckles and wrists are made in a fashion to allow a greater range of movements.
Such joints are known as synovial joints and they are lined with a slippery coating called synovium.
Some joints in the body allow a limited amount of movement between the bones. But if the effect of these joints are combined with neighbouring joints, it results in greater flexibility. The bones in the wrist, ankle and spinal column are some of such examples. The ends of the bones in a synovial joint are held together by tough straps called ligaments. These ligaments bridge the gap between the bones and are anchored onto them at each end.
The areas, where the bone ends move against each other, are covered with cartilage or gristle, which is a shiny, smooth and slightly rubbery material. Cartilage allows the bone ends to slide past each other with very little friction.
