What is a cartilaginous joint?

• A. Made of dense connective tissue with a fluid-filled joint cavity.
• B. Made of fibrocartilage with little to no movement.
• C. Bones separated by a fluid-filled joint cavity that allows for lubrication.
• D. Bones fused by bone tissue and allow high mobility.

Answer: (B)

Cartilaginous joints connect bones with cartilage instead of a joint cavity, and they lack a synovial space for lubrication. The cartilage can be hyaline or fibrocartilage, and these joints usually allow only limited movement. Describing a joint as being made of fibrocartilage with little to no movement fits this pattern best, as examples like the joints between vertebrae or the pubic symphysis rely on fibrocartilage and are only slightly movable. In contrast, a dense connective tissue joint with a fluid-filled cavity describes a synovial joint, which is freely movable and lubricated; a joint with bones fused by bone tissue describes a bony joint with no movement.