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pivot joint
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elbow: anterior
elbow: anterior Anterior view of a human elbow.

pivot joint

skeleton
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Also known as: rotary joint, trochoid joint
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Also called:
rotary joint, or trochoid joint

pivot joint, in vertebrate anatomy, a freely moveable joint (diarthrosis) that allows only rotary movement around a single axis. The moving bone rotates within a ring that is formed from a second bone and adjoining ligament. The pivot joint is exemplified by the joint between the atlas and the axis (first and second cervical vertebrae), directly under the skull, which allows for turning of the head from side to side. Pivot joints also provide for the twisting movement of the bones of the forearm (radius and ulna) against the upper arm, a movement used, for instance, in unscrewing the lid of a jar.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.