Which term describes a joint with a ligamentous link between bones?

• A. Syndesmosis
• B. Synarthrosis
• C. Synostosis
• D. Synchondrosis

Answer: (A)

A syndesmosis is defined by a ligamentous connection between two bones. In this type of joint, the bones are held together not by cartilage or by having fused bone, but by ligaments or an interosseous membrane that spans the gap between them. This arrangement creates a fibrous joint with stability and typically limited movement, as seen in the distal tibiofibular joint where the tibia and fibula are bound together by a strong interosseous membrane and ankle ligaments.

By contrast, synarthrosis refers to immovable joints that are typically fibrous but not defined by a ligamentous link between the bones in the way a syndesmosis is. Synostosis describes bones that have fused into one bone with no movement at all. Synchondrosis is a cartilaginous joint where bones are joined by hyaline cartilage, not ligaments.