Joint capsule

<h2 id="membranes">Membranes</h2>
<p>Each capsule consists of two layers or membranes:
</p>
<ul><li>an outer (fibrous membrane, <i>fibrous stratum</i>) composed of avascular white fibrous tissue</li>
<li>an inner (<i><a href="/facts/Synovial_membrane/kWEY5l7V">synovial membrane</a></i>, <i>synovial stratum</i>) which is a secreting layer</li></ul>
<p>On the inside of the capsule, articular cartilage covers the end surfaces of the bones that articulate within that joint.
</p><p>The outer layer is highly innervated by the same nerves which perforate through the adjacent muscles associated with the joint.
</p>
<h2 id="fibrous-membrane">Fibrous membrane</h2>
<p>The fibrous membrane of the joint capsule is attached to the whole circumference of the articular end of each <a href="/facts/Bone/kwJaR6IQ">bone</a> entering into the joint, and thus entirely surrounds the articulation.  It is made up of <a href="/facts/Dense_connective_tissue/fqFkPCb1">dense connective tissue</a>. It's a long spongy tissue.
</p>
<h2 id="clinical-significance">Clinical significance</h2>
<p><a href="/facts/Frozen_shoulder/kxbB9w78">Frozen shoulder</a> (adhesive capsulitis) is a disorder in which the <a href="/facts/Shoulder/Hsn5SWq2">shoulder</a> capsule becomes inflamed.
</p><p><a href="/facts/Plica_syndrome/BtqNLkXV">Plica syndrome</a> is a disorder in which the synovial plica becomes inflamed and causes abnormal biomechanics in the knee.
</p>
<h2 id="gallery">Gallery</h2>

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Articular_capsule_of_the_humerus/c7Ts1Xbf">Articular capsule of the humerus</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Articular_capsule_of_the_knee_joint/ERBTwrvC">Articular capsule of the knee joint</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Atlanto-axial_joint/1rhEPnpJ">Atlanto-axial joint</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Capsule_of_atlantooccipital_articulation/QwJIBtgr">Capsule of atlantooccipital articulation</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Capsule_of_hip_joint/gPaG9A9d">Capsule of hip joint</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Capsule_of_temporomandibular_joint/DrwCtHHj">Capsule of temporomandibular joint</a></li></ul>

<p> <i>This article incorporates text in the <a href="/facts/Public_domain/YWKMDKw4">public domain</a> from <a href="https://archive.org/stream/anatomyofhumanbo1918gray#page/282/mode/2up">page 282</a> of the 20th edition of</i> <a href="/facts/Gray%27s_Anatomy/dLMyjr2p">Gray's Anatomy</a> <i>(1918)</i>
</p>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/plastination/pelvis/pelvis-e12-15-text.html">Cross section image: pelvis/pelvis-e12-15</a>—Plastination Laboratory at the Medical University of Vienna</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>eMedicine/Stedman Medical Dictionary Lookup! Archived 2008-04-12 at the Wayback Machine <a href="http://www.emedicine.com/asp/dictionary.asp?keyword=Articular+capsule" target="_blank">http://www.emedicine.com/asp/dictionary.asp?keyword=Articular+capsule</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Joint capsule open-in-new

Joint capsule