SSC CGL
MediumQ. No. which-joint-allows-maximum-range-of-movement
Which joint allows maximum range of movement?
Last Updated:
AHinge joint
BGliding joint
CBall and socket joint
DPivot joint
Correct Answer: Ball and socket jointYour Answer: C
Last Updated:
✅ Correct Answer: C — Ball and socket joint
The ball and socket joint allows the greatest range of movement among all joint types. In this joint, the rounded head (ball) of one bone fits into the cup-like socket of another bone. This structure permits movement in all planes: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation, and circumduction. Examples include the shoulder joint (humerus fits into glenoid cavity of scapula) and the hip joint (head of femur fits into acetabulum of pelvis).
❌ Why other options are wrong:
• A. Hinge joint — Allows movement in only one plane (like a door hinge), e.g., elbow and knee joints. It permits only flexion and extension, not rotation or lateral movement.
• B. Gliding joint — Also called plane joint; allows only limited sliding or gliding movement between flat bone surfaces, e.g., between carpals in the wrist.
• D. Pivot joint — Allows only rotational movement around a single axis, e.g., the joint between atlas and axis vertebrae (allows head rotation left/right).
📝 Important Note: There are 6 types of synovial joints: hinge, ball and socket, pivot, gliding/plane, condyloid, and saddle. Ball and socket joint has the widest range of motion. Shoulder joint is the most mobile but also the most easily dislocated joint in the human body. This is a very important SSC CGL topic.
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