The following table shows a selection of joints in the human body.
| Joint type | How it moves | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ball-and-socket joint | Moves in almost every direction, including rotation | Shoulder, hip |
| Hinge joint | Mainly bends and straightens | Elbow, knee, ankle (TC), thumb (IP), fingers (DIP and PIP), big toe (IP), small toes (DIP and PIP) |
| Pivot joint | Allows rotation around an axis | Neck (AA), forearm |
| Condyloid joint | Moves back and forth and side to side, but has limited rotation | Neck (AO), wrist (RC), thumb (MCP), fingers (MCP), toes (MTP) |
| Saddle joint | Moves back and forth and side to side | Thumb (CMC) |
| Plane joint | Bones slide against each other with small movements | Spine, wrist (IC), ankle (ST), fingers (CMC) |
AA … Atlanto-axial joint
AO … Atlanto-occipital joint
CMC … Carpometacarpal joint
DIP … Distal interphalangeal joint
IC … Intercarpal joints
IP … Interphalangeal joint
MCP … Metacarpophalangeal joint
MTP … Metatarsophalangeal joint
PIP … Proximal interphalangeal joint
RC … Radiocarpal joint
ST … Subtalar joint
TC … Talocrural joint