Skip to main content
articular

articular

1 7.4
About the joints where bones meet and move
  • adjective
  • /ɑrˈtɪkjələr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : articular
  • The doctor explained that articular cartilage helps cushion the joints during movement.
  • articular cartilage
  • articular surface
  • articular joints

Interesting in in one example ball and socket articular joints.

Examples

  • The elastic and fluid-filled nature of articular cartilage enables it to help lubricate the joint and absorb shock.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The damage to the femoral and patellar articular cartilage was also similar.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Careful and accurate restoration of the articular surface is of prime importance.

    Academic text (2003)
  • So there's no articular surfaces like in joints that wear out.

  • The clinical examination may also identify the presence of extra-articular findings, which further support the diagnosis of RA.

    Academic text (2014)
  • RA can also present in a mono-articular form affecting larger joints such as the shoulders or knees.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Fractures of the distal radius are usually classified as either articular or non-articular.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Asymmetric joint space narrowing is also common as the articular cartilage is lost or calcified.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The treatment of symptomatic articular cartilage defects of the knee has evolved tremendously in the past decade.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The earlier detection of joint pathology of the articular surfaces enables treatment of earlier stages of CMC OA (4).

    Academic text (2011)

Compounds

articular muscle
  • Specialized
7.5

A muscle that attaches to the covering of a joint and helps keep the joint steady

How Near

articular
  • Specialized
1 7.4
periarticular
  • Specialized
8.9
nearby
325 1.0
distant
246 2.8

Surface Forms

articular positive

Morphology

articular = articulation (semi-transparent) = articul + ar

The adjective is related to 'articulation' (a joint), but the combining form 'articul-' is not a standalone English word and the suffix '-ar' is a less familiar adjective-former, so the relation is only partly obvious to learners.

Etymology

Articular comes from the Latin part articul-, which means 'joint' or 'small part'. A helpful way to remember it is to notice the same root in article and articulate — imagine parts joined together — so articular means 'relating to the joints' of the body.