Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (663 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Also known as articulations, these are points of connection between the ends of certain separate bones, or where the borders of other bones are juxtaposed.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Joint.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Skeleton
- Narrower topics
- Acromioclavicular Joint; Atlanto-Axial Joint; Atlanto-Occipital Joint; Bursa, Synovial; Cartilage, Articular; Elbow Joint; Foot Joints; Hand Joints; Hip Joint; Joint Capsule; Knee Joint; Ligaments, Articular; Pubic Symphysis; Sacroiliac Joint
- See also
- Arthrography; Arthroplasty; Arthroscopy
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 306,671 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Joints” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 63,652 of them (20.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 96,203 records.
Reviews account for 30,775 records (10.0%) and meta-analyses for 2,707. Randomized controlled trials number 9,290 (3.0%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 96,203 |
| 2000-2009 | 56,130 |
| 2010-2019 | 90,686 |
| 2020 onward | 63,652 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 30,775 | 10.0% |
| Meta-analyses | 2,707 | 0.9% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 9,290 | 3.0% |
Method: PubMed query "Joints"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synovial fluid level of myeloperoxidase enzyme following ultrasound-guided regenerative injections in patients with irreducible temporomandibular disc displacement: a double-blinded parallel randomized clinical trial | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42472796 · DOI · PMC13383524 |
| Restoring pre-osteoarthritis cartilage matrix integrity via Col9 mRNA halts osteoarthritis progression | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42685225 · DOI · PMC13537250 |
| Validation of markerless human pose estimation methods for clinical assessment of elbow range of motion | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42490640 · DOI · PMC13395372 |
Synovial fluid level of myeloperoxidase enzyme following ultrasound-guided regenerative injections in patients with irreducible temporomandibular disc displacement: a double-blinded parallel randomized clinical trial [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundIrreducible temporomandibular disc displacement (DDwoR) is a subtype of internal derangement of temporomandibular joint (TMJ-ID).
- Closing excerpt
- gov with identification number: NCT04557878, 1/4/2020.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (257 words)
BackgroundIrreducible temporomandibular disc displacement (DDwoR) is a subtype of internal derangement of temporomandibular joint (TMJ-ID). Recognizing the risks related to DDwoR with its pathogenesis, the treatment of this disorder becomes essential. Prolotherapy, also known as regenerative injection therapy, has been emerging as one of the most promising approaches to treat patients with TMJ-ID. The current prospective parallel randomized clinical trial (RCT) was done to assess the effect of hypertonic dextrose (HD) regenerative injection and that of concentrated growth factors (CGF) in conjunction with a stabilization occlusal appliance (SA) in the management of DDwoR.MethodsTwenty-four patients suffering from DDwoR were randomly assigned to 2 equal groups; Group I (HD + SA), Group II (CGF + SA). Assessments were done before treatment, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 24 weeks after the treatment using the Visual Analogue Scale of Pain (VAS) and assisted maximum mouth opening (MMO). Moreover, synovial fluid (SF) samples were obtained for the analysis of the Myeloperoxidase enzyme (MPO) levels, before and 6 months after treatment.ResultsA significant relief in pain was found in both groups at 1 month and lasted up to 6 months postoperatively (p ConclusionsWe concluded that injection of HD or CGF in the superior joint space could be a valuable treatment option for patients suffering from DDwoR. As both led to a positive impact on MMO, and the relief of joint pain with the decrease in levels of inflammatory biomarker inside the joint.Trial registrationThe current trial is a prospective assessor and analyst blinded RCT that has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with identification number: NCT04557878, 1/4/2020.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42472796 · DOI · PMC13383524
Restoring pre-osteoarthritis cartilage matrix integrity via Col9 mRNA halts osteoarthritis progression [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by the progressive breakdown of cartilage.
- Closing excerpt
- Together, these results provide a translatable framework in which quantitative mechanical-ultrastructural metrics guide ultra-early, presymptomatic intervention for degenerative diseases.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (163 words)
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by the progressive breakdown of cartilage. Here, we sought to define a pre-osteoarthritis (pre-OA) state using nanoindentation-based mechanical testing and evaluation of collagen organization in cartilage matrix. The reductions in elastic modulus and impaired viscoelasticity preceded any overt histological degeneration. This mechanical dysfunction was primarily driven by early disorganization of type II collagen, occurring before substantial depletion of cartilage components. We subsequently identified type IX collagen (Col IX), which played a critical role at the pre-OA stage. Intra-articular administration of Col9 mRNAs delivered by polymer-based nanomicelle restored pre-OA cartilage to a healthy, native-like collagen network architecture and preserved cartilage mechanical integrity, ultimately halting OA progression in the rat model. These findings identify viscoelastic dysfunction as an early biomechanical hallmark of pre-OA cartilage and establish Col9 mRNA as a potential anti-OA drug to prevent its onset. Together, these results provide a translatable framework in which quantitative mechanical-ultrastructural metrics guide ultra-early, presymptomatic intervention for degenerative diseases.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42685225 · DOI · PMC13537250
Validation of markerless human pose estimation methods for clinical assessment of elbow range of motion [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Clinicians rely on the assessment of joint range of motion to determine the necessity of clinical interventions and to track rehabilitation progress.
- Closing excerpt
- Thus, HSMR represented a viable alternative to visual assessment for measuring elbow flexion range of motion in a clinical population, but neither RTMW nor HSMR offered an improvement over visual assessment for measuring elbow extension range of motion.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (243 words)
Clinicians rely on the assessment of joint range of motion to determine the necessity of clinical interventions and to track rehabilitation progress. They often perform visual assessments of these joint angles due to limited time for longer but more accurate methods. Markerless monocular human pose estimation methods could help reduce the workload of physicians in clinical practice, allow patients to conduct regular assessments remotely, and be used to provide reliable assessments in the absence of expert raters, but they have not been validated extensively on clinical populations. We measured the elbow flexion and extension ranges of motion of 46 patients with shoulder and elbow pathologies. These values were assessed by RTMW and HSMR, two different monocular pose estimation methods, and an experienced physician who performed visual assessments. A state-of-the-art passive-marker optical motion capture system was used as the reference system. For elbow flexion, HSMR outperformed visual assessment. HSMR had a higher concordance correlation coefficient of 0.92 and a lower minimal detectable change of 6.74° as determined by a concordance analysis and a linear mixed-effects model. Conversely, for elbow extension, visual assessment outperformed both markerless methods. RTMW was the best-performing markerless method with a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.83 and a minimal detectable change of 7.93°. Thus, HSMR represented a viable alternative to visual assessment for measuring elbow flexion range of motion in a clinical population, but neither RTMW nor HSMR offered an improvement over visual assessment for measuring elbow extension range of motion.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42490640 · DOI · PMC13395372
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Robotic and navigated pedicle screws are safer and more accurate than fluoroscopic freehand screws: a systematic review and meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Lower donor site morbidity with hamstring and quadriceps tendon autograft compared with bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [5]
- Research article Recurrence in traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations increases the prevalence of Hill-Sachs and Bankart lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article May the force be with you: understanding how patellofemoral joint reaction force compares across different activities and physical interventions-a systematic review and meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Genicular Artery Embolization as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis Related Knee Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Inlay versus onlay humeral design for reverse shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis [9]
References
- Bahgat MM, El-Helw NR, Abdel-Hamid AM, Fata MM, Ashour MS, Atteya AM. Synovial fluid level of myeloperoxidase enzyme following ultrasound-guided regenerative injections in patients with irreducible temporomandibular disc displacement: a double-blinded parallel randomized clinical trial. . 2026. PMID 42472796 · DOI · PMC13383524
- Zhou J, Hu J, Yada E, Zhong J, Terai Y, Winlove CP, et al.. Restoring pre-osteoarthritis cartilage matrix integrity via Col9 mRNA halts osteoarthritis progression. . 2026. PMID 42685225 · DOI · PMC13537250
- Rode D, Willi R, Schulz E, Schneller T, Moroder P, Audigé L, et al.. Validation of markerless human pose estimation methods for clinical assessment of elbow range of motion. . 2026. PMID 42490640 · DOI · PMC13395372
- Matur AV, Palmisciano P, Duah HO, Chilakapati SS, Cheng JS, Adogwa O. Robotic and navigated pedicle screws are safer and more accurate than fluoroscopic freehand screws: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Spine J. 2023. PMID 36273761 · DOI
- Kunze KN, Moran J, Polce EM, Pareek A, Strickland SM, Williams RJ. Lower donor site morbidity with hamstring and quadriceps tendon autograft compared with bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2023. PMID 37000243 · DOI
- Rutgers C, Verweij LPE, Priester-Vink S, van Deurzen DFP, Maas M, van den Bekerom MPJ. Recurrence in traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations increases the prevalence of Hill-Sachs and Bankart lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2022. PMID 34988633 · DOI · PMC9165262
- Hart HF, Patterson BE, Crossley KM, Culvenor AG, Khan MCM, King MG, et al.. May the force be with you: understanding how patellofemoral joint reaction force compares across different activities and physical interventions-a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2022. PMID 35115309 · DOI
- Epelboym Y, Mandell JC, Collins JE, Burch E, Shiang T, Killoran T, et al.. Genicular Artery Embolization as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis Related Knee Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2023. PMID 36991094 · DOI
- Larose G, Fisher ND, Gambhir N, Alben MG, Zuckerman JD, Virk MS, et al.. Inlay versus onlay humeral design for reverse shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022. PMID 35671928 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.