What are the different types of joints?

Types of movable joints include the ball-and-socket joint, hinge joint, pivot joint, and gliding joint.

Diarthroses

• Ball-and-socket joints. Ball-and-socket joints, such as the shoulder and hip joints, allow backward, forward, sideways, and rotating movements.
• Hinge joints.
• Pivot joints.
• Ellipsoidal joints.

Immovable or fibrous joints are those that do not allow movement (or allow for only very slight movement) at joint locations. Bones at these joints have no joint cavity and are held together structurally by thick fibrous connective tissue, usually collagen.

This is because the socket is deeper and the ligaments and muscles much bigger and stronger. As a result we can’t get the same range of movement from our hips as from our shoulders but in return the hip is more stable and much less likely to dislocate than the shoulder.

The ligaments of a joint prevent excessive movement that could damage the joint. As a general rule, the more ligaments a joint has, and the tighter they are, the more stable the joint is.

The hip joint (see the image below) is a ball-and-socket synovial joint: the ball is the femoral head, and the socket is the acetabulum. The hip joint is the articulation of the pelvis with the femur, which connects the axial skeleton with the lower extremity.

What Is Sciatica? Sciatica refers to back pain caused by a problem with the sciatic nerve. This is a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. When something injures or puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, it can cause pain in the lower back that spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg.

Types of joint movement

The hip joint is the largest weight-bearing joint in the human body. It is also referred to as a ball and socket joint and is surrounded by muscles, ligaments and tendons. The thighbone or femur and the pelvis join to form the hip joint.

The following signs are frequent early symptoms of a hip problem:

• Hip Pain or Groin Pain. This pain is usually located between the hip and the knee.
• Stiffness. A common symptom of stiffness in the hip is difficulty putting on your shoes or socks.
• Limping.
• Swelling and Tenderness of the Hip.

The hip joint is surrounded by several muscles, including:

• Gluteal muscles, located on the back of the hip (buttocks);
• The adductor muscle on the inner thigh;
• The iliopsoas muscle, which extends from the lower back to upper femur;
• Quadriceps, a group of four muscles that comprise the front of the thigh; and.

“Pain that involves the hip joint is usually in the groin, right where your leg meets your body,” Dr. Stuchin says. “The hip joint is in the groin and you can feel it as low as your knee, in the front of your leg down the thigh.” Here are some common hip pain complaints and their symptoms.

A hip affected by inflammatory arthritis will feel painful and stiff. There are other symptoms, as well: A dull, aching pain in the groin, outer thigh, knee, or buttocks. Pain that is worse in the morning or after sitting or resting for a while, but lessens with activity.

Symptoms

• Pain in your groin or thigh that radiates to your buttocks or your knee.
• Pain that flares up with vigorous activity.
• Stiffness in the hip joint that makes it difficult to walk or bend.

2. Stiffness. Difficulty putting your shoes or socks on is a common sign of stiffness in your hip, especially if one foot is more difficult than the other. You may also start to feel your hip joint clicking, popping or grinding in ways which impair your normal range of movement.

Arthritis in Knee: 4 Stages of Osteoarthritis

• Stage 0 – Normal. When the knee shows no signs of osteoarthritis, it is classified as Stage 0, which is normal knee health, with no known impairment or signs of joint damage.
• Stage 1 – Minor.
• Stage 2 – Mild.
• Stage 3 – Moderate.
• Stage 4 – Severe.

The patient is instructed to flex one leg at the hip and knee as if taking a marching step. While holding this position, the patient is asked to arch his or her back into extension. Reproduction of pain on the stance leg is a positive finding. The test is then repeated on the contralateral side.

Patients who have osteoarthritis of the hip sometimes have problems walking. Diagnosis can be difficult at first. That’s because pain can appear in different locations, including the groin, thigh, buttocks, or knee. The pain can be stabbing and sharp or it can be a dull ache, and the hip is often stiff.

On the one hand you have osteoarthritis of the back and hips, and power walking on hard surfaces is likely to aggravate it. On the other hand you have early osteoporosis, and weight bearing exercise is recommended to delay further bone loss.

Slowing Osteoarthritis Progression

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight. Excess weight puts additional pressure on weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees.
2. Control Blood Sugar.
3. Get Physical.
4. Protect Joints.
5. Choose a Healthy Lifestyle.

As the cartilage surface wears and thins, a progression of symptoms develop. Eventually, at the end stage of arthritis, the articular cartilage wears away completely and bone on bone contact occurs.