Pivot joint Pivot joint In animal anatomy, a pivot joint (trochoid joint, rotary joint, lateral ginglymus) is a type of synovial joint. In pivot joints, the axis of a convex articular surface is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bone. According to one classification system, a pivot joint like the other synovial joint —the hinge joint has one degree of freedom. Note that the degrees of freedom of a joint is not the same as the same as joint's range of motion. Pivot joints allow for rotation, which can be external (for example when rotating an arm outward), or internal (as
Hinge between structural components, typically in an effort to reduce sensitivity to earthquakes. The primary reason for using a hinge, rather than a simpler device such as a slide, is to prevent the separation of adjacent components. When no bending stresses are transmitted across the hinge it is called a "zero moment hinge". People have developed a variety of self-actuating, self-locking hinge designs for spacecraft deployable structures such as solar array panels, synthetic aperture radar antennas, booms, radiators, etc. Hinge A hinge is a mechanical bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them.