Which description best fits slightly movable (cartilaginous) joints?

Which description best fits slightly movable (cartilaginous) joints?

• A. Cartilaginous joints allow limited movement and are cushioned with cartilage
• B. Synovial joints have no cartilage
• C. Fixed joints allow full movement
• D. Ball-and-socket joints are immobile

Answer: (A)

Slightly movable joints are cartilaginous joints, where bones are joined by cartilage and can move only a little. The cartilage provides cushioning and absorbs shocks, which allows some flexibility but keeps movement limited. That’s exactly what the description is getting at: limited movement with cushioning from cartilage. Examples include joints between vertebrae and the pelvic symphysis. The other statements don’t fit because they describe joints with different properties: synovial joints have a joint cavity and usually a wide range of movement (and aren’t described as having no cartilage); fixed joints are immobile; ball-and-socket joints are a highly mobile type of synovial joint.

Slightly movable joints are cartilaginous joints, where bones are joined by cartilage and can move only a little. The cartilage provides cushioning and absorbs shocks, which allows some flexibility but keeps movement limited. That’s exactly what the description is getting at: limited movement with cushioning from cartilage. Examples include joints between vertebrae and the pelvic symphysis.

The other statements don’t fit because they describe joints with different properties: synovial joints have a joint cavity and usually a wide range of movement (and aren’t described as having no cartilage); fixed joints are immobile; ball-and-socket joints are a highly mobile type of synovial joint.