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Synovial Joints During Three Different Types of Physical Activity

Synovial, or freely movable, joints are complex, living mechanisms consisting of cartilage, bone, ligaments and synovium, the smooth lining of the joint. Examples of synovial joints are the hip, elbow and knee. As these joints move freely, they sustain stress and wear and tear, even in the simplest of activities. Physical exercise plays a large part in that wear and tear.

  1. Walking

    • Walking can be stressful to the knee and hip.

      According to the National Institutes of Health, the articular cartilage, which is the material lining the bones of the synovial joint, receives the primary contact while walking. The cartilage receives force equal to several times the body weight. In the knee it is 1.2 to 7.2 times the body weight, while the hip sustains forces of 2.5 to 5.8 times body weight. The friction and wear on the synovial knee and hip joints will lead to loss of cartilage, with the potential of losing all cartilage, resulting in bones rubbing against each other.

    Running

    • Running puts stress on synovial joints.

      Running is high-impact and studies have been conducted on synovial tissues to determine the effects of the high loads on the synovial joints, particularly the knee, during running. The main concern is the impact on the articular cartilage. Studies have shown that high impact leads to arthritis and cartilage damage. According the a study reported in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, excessive high-impact exercises, such as running, can damage the synovial fluid and lead to cartilage loss. What would be an acceptable level of running would depend the current state of a person's synovial joints.

    Elliptical Exercise

    • Elliptical exercise has become popular.

      Elliptical exercises have been shown to be less stressful on the synovial joints, particularly the knee, than either walking or running. According to a study reported in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, elliptical exercises put less of a force on the synovial joints of the hip, knee and ankle than walking. However, there was greater hip flexor and knee extensor motion. This lead the researchers to conclude that the user's knee function and muscle strength would need to be considered to determine if elliptical exercise was better than walking.

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