The Connection between the Skeletal Parts of the Long Bones: the Joints
One outstanding example of a connection between the skeletal parts of the extremities is the synovial joint. This type of joint is characterized by a total discontinuance of skeletal continuity. In a synovial joint, the continuity is provided by tendons and ligaments and not by bone or cartilage. This type of joint, creates a maximum possibility for movement of the skeletal parts in the extremities with respect to each other and, therefore, of the body as a whole. Thus, the greatest possible polarity is obtained with respect to what is found in the neurocranium where synostoses and sutures are formed (3.1.4.). A synovial joint consists of a ball and a socket surrounded by ligaments. Both the ball and the socket are covered by a layer of cartilage. Nowhere the cartilaginous sections are connected to each other. This is one of the reasons why it is possible for a synovial joint to have optimum freedom of movement. Cartilage is not found anywhere in the skeleton of the neurocranium.