a flat fibrous sheet of connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone

(See Figure 9.2.1 a) Thus, skull sutures in the adult are functionally classified as a synarthrosis. The suture is frequently convoluted, forming a tight union that prevents most movement between the bones. In adults, the skull bones articulate closely and fibrous connective tissue fills the narrow gap between the bones. The fibrous connective tissue found at a suture (“to bind or sew”) strongly unites the adjacent skull bones and thus helps to protect the brain and form the face. SutureĪll the bones of the skull, except for the mandible, are joined to each other by fibrous joints called sutures. (c) A gomphosis is a specialized fibrous joint that anchors a tooth to its socket in the jaw. (b) An interosseous membrane forms a syndesmosis between the radius and ulna bones of the forearm. (a) Sutures join most bones of the skull. Figure 9.2.1 – Fibrous Joints: Fibrous joints form strong connections between bones. Lastly, a gomphosis is the narrow fibrous joint between the roots of a tooth and the bony socket in the jaw into which the tooth fits. This type of fibrous joint is found between the shaft regions of the long bones in the forearm and in the leg. At a syndesmosis, the bones are more widely separated but are held together by a strap of fibrous connective tissue called a ligament or a wide sheet of connective tissue called an interosseous membrane. A suture is the narrow fibrous joint found between most bones of the skull. The fibers joining the bones may be short or long, thus the gap between bones at fibrous joints vary from narrow to wide.

Name an example of each type of fibrous joint and describe its functional propertiesĪt a fibrous joint, the adjacent bones are directly connected to each other by fibrous connective tissue, and thus the bones do not have a joint cavity between them ( Figure 9.2.1).Compare sutures, syndesmoses, and gomphoses.Describe the structural features and functional properties of fibrous joints.By the end of this section, you will be able to:ĭescribe the characteristic features for fibrous joints and give examples

A flat fibrous sheet of connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone