Paper 5: Basic Anatomy of Weight-Bearing Joints

Weight-bearing joints are dealt with as structures composed of deformable material, this concept covering the articular cartilage, the fatty pads, the endarthrodial plates of synovial joints, and the discs between the movable bones of the spinal column. Most attention is given to synovial joints and the function of the various structures found in these is explained in terms of the need for efficient streamlining of the synovial fluid.