The Many Joints of a Marching Band Member
_There are many joints in the body, and thus means many joints in a
marching band kid, who woulda thought? Joints connect two bones
together, and this allows for the type of movement of the bone.
I'll start by listing the different types of joints:
I'll start by listing the different types of joints:
1) Ball and Socket Joint: A ball shaped head that fits into a concave socket. This is a multiaxial, meaning more then one movement, joint. This means it can move in many directions, like a circular motion. Your shoulder and hip joints are ball and socket joints.
2) Condyloid Joint: An oval shaped condyloid that fits into an elliptical cavity. This is a biaxial joint, which means it permits movement in two different planes, which means the joint can flex, extend, abduct, and adduct. The best example would be the your knuckles. They can move up, down, left and right.
3) Saddle Joint: A joint where the opposing surfaces are reciprocally concave-convex. Like the condyloid joint, the saddle joint is also biaxial, which means the joint can flex, extend, abduct and adduct. You thumb is a saddle joint.
4) Hinge Joint: A convex surface that fits into a concave surface. The hinge joint is a uniaxial joint, which allows for one plane a movement. Think of the hinges on a door, which only allow for the door to open and close, this is like a hinge joint, which more back a forth. Your knees and elbows are hinge joints.
5) Pivot Joint: A joint with a convex articular surface that is parallel with a horizontal bone. This joint allows for rotation only, making it uniaxial. Your elbow also has a pivot joint as well as a hinge joint. The saddle joint allows for the elbow to bend towards the center of your body, and away.
2) Condyloid Joint: An oval shaped condyloid that fits into an elliptical cavity. This is a biaxial joint, which means it permits movement in two different planes, which means the joint can flex, extend, abduct, and adduct. The best example would be the your knuckles. They can move up, down, left and right.
3) Saddle Joint: A joint where the opposing surfaces are reciprocally concave-convex. Like the condyloid joint, the saddle joint is also biaxial, which means the joint can flex, extend, abduct and adduct. You thumb is a saddle joint.
4) Hinge Joint: A convex surface that fits into a concave surface. The hinge joint is a uniaxial joint, which allows for one plane a movement. Think of the hinges on a door, which only allow for the door to open and close, this is like a hinge joint, which more back a forth. Your knees and elbows are hinge joints.
5) Pivot Joint: A joint with a convex articular surface that is parallel with a horizontal bone. This joint allows for rotation only, making it uniaxial. Your elbow also has a pivot joint as well as a hinge joint. The saddle joint allows for the elbow to bend towards the center of your body, and away.
Plane Joint: The plane joint permits sliding and gliding movements. This joint is made of small bones that move over each other in quick repetitive patterns. These types of joints are typically found in the wrists and ankles.
All joints have synovial fluid in between them. This allows for the joints to move more smoothly then they would if it was just bone against bone. Also, all joints typically have cartilage on the ends of them. This allows for the ends of the bones to be more protected when they move. Not only are there all the joints just listed, but there are also cartilage and fibrous joints. Cartilage are joints are joints that actually connect to the other bone with cartilage, like your ribs to the sternum. Fibrous joints are connected together really tightly by fibrous tissue and are nonaxial, meaning they have no movement. Your skull is made up of many different bones connected by fibrous tissue.
All joints have synovial fluid in between them. This allows for the joints to move more smoothly then they would if it was just bone against bone. Also, all joints typically have cartilage on the ends of them. This allows for the ends of the bones to be more protected when they move. Not only are there all the joints just listed, but there are also cartilage and fibrous joints. Cartilage are joints are joints that actually connect to the other bone with cartilage, like your ribs to the sternum. Fibrous joints are connected together really tightly by fibrous tissue and are nonaxial, meaning they have no movement. Your skull is made up of many different bones connected by fibrous tissue.
The Joints Used While Marching
Marching band involves the use of all the joints mentioned above in many different ways. Starting with the feet.
The Feet
The foot is made up of two different joints, subtalar joint, and the true ankle joint.The subtalar joint is a pivot joint, allowing you to move the foot side to side. The true ankle joint allows for you to move you foot up and down, making it a hinge joint. Both of these joints allow for most of the movement you will use in marching band. In marching band, your feet are always pointing in the direction, unless marching backwards. The true ankle joint allows for you to point your toes to the ground, and the subtalar joint allows for you to change your direction. In marching band, when you change directions by pointing your toes and then moving to the other direction, this is called a pivot, just like a pivot joint that is located in your foot.
The Knee
The knees are possibly one of the most important parts of the body, this is because they support the entire weight of the body. The knee is a pivotal hinge joint that allows up and down movement, as well as slight rotation. The knee is very important in marching band, although you want to bend it as slightly as possible. When taking bigger than normal steps, you would want to bend your knees to get to your spot on time. Or when you have to jazz run for those really big steps, you would bend your knees and squat down, while pointing your toes. Jazz running is when, instead of taking big steps and pulling your toes, you take big steps and point your toes. This is kind of like a jumping run that gets you further quickly, and is rarely used in marching band.
The Hips
The hip is probably the most important part of your body in marching band. The hip is what makes your body always face the sideline. The hip is a ball and socket joint connected to your femur bone. Because it's a ball and socket joint, this means it can move in many different directions. When marching you almost always have your body facing the side line, no matter if your feet are move straight, from side to side or at an angle. Because your hip and femur join at a ball and socket joint this allows for all the movement you need to keep your midsection facing the sideline.
The Spine
The is the most important part of your body. It keeps your body upright and helps you to stand. It allows for the body to move, bend, and it keeps the spinal cord safe. It is also very important in marching band. While the hips help your body move in the direction it wants to, the spine helps for that curve you want between the midsection and the hips. This allows for your body to always be facing forward. The individual vertebrae of the spine help it to move, twist, and bend. The twisting of the vertebrae allow for a marching band member to marching in one direction, and keep their body in another.
The Wrist
When bringing your instrument up, in a playing position, or down, in a resting position, your wrists are what does the trick. The wrist is made up of many different joints for very complex movement. All these joints help bring your instrument up to your mouth to play or to bring it down. When lifting your instrument in playing position you flick your wrist, this uses the radiocarpal joint in your wrist, which connects the hand to the wrist.
The Shoulders And Elbows
The shoulders and elbows help with carrying your instrument. When holding your instrument, your hands are to hold the instrument and your wrist to your elbows should create a triangle shape, followed by the rest of your arm to your shoulder in a open and relaxed position. Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint allowing for this position. Your elbow is a pivotal hinge joint allowing for up and down movement as well as side to side and allows for the angle to keep the triangle shape.