Pivot joint

Last revised by Henry Knipe on 29 May 2017

Pivot joints, also known as rotary joints, are a type of synovial joint that permit axial rotation. The moving bone rotates within a ring formed by the concave surface of a second bone and an adjoining ligament.

Movements  

Pivot joints allow rotation around a single axis only and therefore mechanically speaking they possess only one degree of freedom

  • axial rotation
Examples

The proximal and distal radioulnar joints pivot together such that the radius twists around the ulnar to allow pronation and supination of the forearm.

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