Plane joint

Gliding joint
Vertical section through the articulations at the wrist, showing the synovial cavities.
Details
Identifiers
Latin	articulatio plana
TA	A03.0.00.043
Anatomical terminology []

A plane joint (arthrodial joint, gliding joint, plane articulation) is a synovial joint which, under physiological conditions, allows only gliding movement.

Plane joints permit sliding movements in the plane of articular surfaces. The opposed surfaces of the bones are flat or almost flat, with movement limited by their tight joint capsules. Plane joints are numerous and are nearly always small, such as the acromioclavicular joint between the acromion of the scapula and the clavicle. Typically, they are found in the wrists, ankles & between the 2nd and 7th sternocostals, vertebral transverse and spinous processes.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)