What are the differences between the different joints in our body?
The human body has several different types of joints - each one is particular to the body part's needs. For example, to be able to walk properly, your hip has to have a wide range of motion and to be able to rotate. So, the hip joint is a ball-and-socket type, just as the shoulder is. The shoulder also needs a wide range of motion and the ability to rotate. That brings us to the knee. We don't want the knee to rotate as much as the hip - that would make it very awkward to walk - but it does need a bit of rotation. It also has to be able to move back and forth in a straight motion. So, the knee is a complicated type of hinge joint, more complicated than the elbow, which is also a hinge joint. There is also a saddle joint, but there is only one in your body - at the base of your thumb. This particular joint give your thumb a large range of motion. Other joints, such as gliding joints, allow you to move your wrists and ankles, while condyloid joints allow you to move your fingers and toes. There are also joints in areas you may not consider as being jointed. For example, you have pivot joints in your neck.
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