Anatomy Practice Exam 2026 - Free Anatomy Practice Questions and Study Guide

The ball-and-socket joint is indeed the type of joint that allows for the greatest range of motion. This joint is characterized by a spherical head of one bone fitting into a cup-like depression of another bone, enabling movement in multiple directions. This structure allows for flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and rotation.

A prime example of a ball-and-socket joint is the shoulder joint, which allows the arm to move freely in almost every direction, and the hip joint, which provides a similar range of motion for the leg. This extensive range of motion makes ball-and-socket joints crucial for activities that involve complex movements.

While hinge joints allow movement primarily in one plane (like bending and straightening), pivot joints enable rotational movement around a single axis, and gliding joints allow for limited sliding or back-and-forth movements, none of these provide the level of versatility and freedom of movement that ball-and-socket joints do.