Britannica Sources used in this answer

How do the joints between finger bones function as hinge joints?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Medical illustration of a human knee joint in a parasagittal section just lateral to the midline, labeling ligaments, cartilage, meniscus, patella, synovial structures, and surrounding muscles and fat pads. — joint The ligaments and cartilage in a knee joint.

The joints between the fingers (phalanges) function as hinge joints, also known as ginglymus joints, by restricting movement to a backward-forward swing, similar to the mechanism of a door hinge.1

These joints are classified as modified sellar joints, where each mating surface is ovoid on its left and right sides. While they primarily facilitate a swinging motion, this movement is accompanied by a slight rotation or spin of the moving bone around its long axis. This rotation is essential for moving the joint into or out of its close-packed position, which occurs during extension.1