Symphysis
Symphysis
- Synonym: Secondary cartilaginous joint
- Related terms: Symphysis; Secondary cartilaginous joint
Definition
In the amphiarthroses (slightly movable articulations) the contiguous bony surfaces are either connected by broad flattened disks of fibrocartilage, of a more or less complex structure, as in the articulations between the bodies of the vertebræ; or are united by an interosseous ligament, as in the inferior tibiofibular articulation. The first form is termed a symphysis, the second a syndesmosis.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
