👤 By the CinnaEntry Content Team🕐 Updated 2026-09-07🏷️ HESI Anatomy & Physiology🔖 Free to read, print, and share
Also known as: hinge joint · ball-and-socket · pivot joint · ligament · tendon · cartilage
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Use this one-page guide to lock in Joints & Connective Tissue for the ATI TEAS 7 and HESI A2. Keep it handy during review and on exam day.
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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet
📌 The Pair That Trips People
LIGAMENT joins BONE to BONE
TENDON joins MUSCLE to BONE
Cartilage cushions the joint surface
📌 Joint Types
Hinge — one plane: knee, elbow
Ball-and-socket — many planes: hip, shoulder
Pivot — rotation: neck (C1–C2)
Gliding — sliding: wrist, ankle
Saddle — two planes: thumb
Fixed / suture — no movement: skull
📌 Movement Terms
Flexion decreases the angle · Extension increases it
Abduction moves AWAY from midline · Adduction moves toward (adds to the body)
📚 Joints & Connective Tissue — full study notes
The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what must be reported, and what to teach.
Joint questions are usually a two-step: name the joint type from how it moves, then attach the right connective tissue. The pair that trips people is ligament versus tendon, and it appears on almost every form.
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Key points
Understand these first
Ligament joins BONE to BONE. Tendon joins MUSCLE to BONE.
Hinge joints move in one plane — knee and elbow (flexion and extension).
Ball-and-socket joints move in many planes — hip and shoulder.
Pivot joints allow rotation — the neck (atlas/axis) and the forearm.
Cartilage cushions the joint surfaces and reduces friction; it has a poor blood supply, so it heals slowly.
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Study first
Where to start
A joint that only bends and straightens must be a hinge — so the knee is a hinge, not a ball-and-socket, even though it is large.
Ask what tears in an ankle sprain: a LIGAMENT, because the injury is bone-to-bone stability, not a muscle attachment.
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Red flags — report now
Escalate immediately
Swapping ligament and tendon — remember 'ligament links limb bones'.
Calling the knee a ball-and-socket because it is a major weight-bearing joint; size does not determine type, movement does.
Forgetting that cartilage heals slowly, which is why joint injuries linger.
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Commonly tested
What comes up most
Move the joint on your own body and count the directions. One direction = hinge; many = ball-and-socket; rotation = pivot.
For ligament/tendon, both words in the pair start with the letter of what they attach: Ligament–Limb bone, Tendon–musclE... use whichever mnemonic sticks, but pick one and keep it.
❓ Joints & Connective Tissue: TEAS & HESI FAQs
What should I focus on first when studying Joints & Connective Tissue?
A joint that only bends and straightens must be a hinge — so the knee is a hinge, not a ball-and-socket, even though it is large. Ask what tears in an ankle sprain: a LIGAMENT, because the injury is bone-to-bone stability, not a muscle attachment.
What are the warning signs of Joints & Connective Tissue a nurse must report?
Swapping ligament and tendon — remember 'ligament links limb bones'. Calling the knee a ball-and-socket because it is a major weight-bearing joint; size does not determine type, movement does. Forgetting that cartilage heals slowly, which is why joint injuries linger.
What do I need to know about Joints & Connective Tissue for the TEAS or HESI?
Ligament joins BONE to BONE. Tendon joins MUSCLE to BONE. Hinge joints move in one plane — knee and elbow (flexion and extension). Ball-and-socket joints move in many planes — hip and shoulder. Pivot joints allow rotation — the neck (atlas/axis) and the forearm.
What are the most commonly tested points on Joints & Connective Tissue?
Move the joint on your own body and count the directions. One direction = hinge; many = ball-and-socket; rotation = pivot. For ligament/tendon, both words in the pair start with the letter of what they attach: Ligament–Limb bone, Tendon–musclE... use whichever mnemonic sticks, but pick one and keep it.
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Quick Tip
Ligament joins BONE to BONE. Tendon joins MUSCLE to BONE.