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AnatomyBasicsIntroduction to the musculoskeletal systemBall and socket joint
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AnatomyBasicsIntroduction to the musculoskeletal systemBall and socket joint

Ball and socket joint

Author: Danijel Tosovic, PhD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: October 30, 2023
Reading time: 1 minute

Recommended video: Types of synovial joints [18:19]
Synovial joints are the main type of joints found in the body.
Ball and socket joint
Articulatio sphaeroidea
1/2
Synonyms: Spheroidal joint, Cotyloid joint , show more...

Ball-and-socket joints are one of the six types of synovial joints, the others being plane, pivot, hinge, saddle and ellipsoid.

Ball-and-socket joints are the most mobile of all joints in the human body, allowing movements in all three planes and about all three axes, hence are termed polyaxial (multiaxial/triaxial)  joints. They get their name from the spherical shape (ball) of one bone articulating with the cup-shaped (socket) surface of the other bone. Prime examples of these articulations include the hip joint, between the head of the femur (ball) and acetabulum of the pelvis (socket), and the glenohumeral joint, between the head of the humerus (ball) and glenoid fossa of the scapula (socket). 

Movements permitted by ball-and-socket joints typically include: flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, medial and lateral rotation. 

Terminology English: Ball-and-socket joint Latin: Articulatio sphaeroidea
Classification Polyaxial (multiaxial/triaxial) synovial joint
Function Allows movement around all three axes (three degrees of freedom)

Learn more about synovial joints with the following study unit: 

Types of joints: Arthrology Read article

sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines .

Gray, H., Drake, RL, Vogl, W., & Mitchell, AWM (2023). Gray's anatomy for students (Fifth edition). Elsevier.

Marieb, E., & Hoehn, K. (2022). Human Anatomy and Physiology, Global Edition. (12th ed.). Pearson Education, Limited.

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