Fixed

Really a fixed joint? is that real...

A fixed joint does indeed sound like an oxymoron. Most people think of a joint as the moveable part of a body, so how can it be fixed?

The reality is that any place where two or more bones come together is called a joint. Of course, most of these permit movement, but there are in fact several different types of joint.

These include:

• Fixed

• Slightly moveable

• Moveable synovial joint

While most joints are held together by tissues such as tendons, ligaments, or muscles, fixed joints are held together by a tough fibre that permits no movement they are therefore also known as Fibrous joints.

Some examples of fixed joints.

An example of a fixed joint is between the bones in the skull. When you are born, your skull bones are not joined together there is, in fact, a gap between the bones called the fontanel, the soft spot on the top of a babys head. This movement is necessary for safe birth the skull is compressed during birth, and must be flexible.

Benefits of growth.

As you grow, however, the bones quickly grow together and harden in order to perform their primary function, protecting the brain.