Nicolás Vidal-Seguel; Ricardo Miranda-Krause; Rodrigo Lizama-Pérez; Ademar Sanhueza-Cano

The anatomical study of the musculoskeletal system in various health programs addresses general concepts associated with the skeletal, joint, and muscular systems. At the joint level, students must understand the basic characteristics of a joint in order to subsequently move toward a detailed analysis of each of them. One of the main pedagogical challenges in this process is the incorporation of multiple terms, classifications, and functional categories. In this context, the objective of this study was to analyze the terms related to joint classification from an anatomical perspective, through a review of the Terminologia Anatomica (TA) and classic anatomy texts. In addition, an etymological review of the most commonly used concepts was conducted, with the aim of offering an integrative view that facilitates their understanding, proper use, and systematic teaching. The results show there are three ways to classify the joints of the human body according to TA, based on criteria of structure, mobility, and complexity. However, this classification can be confusing due to the lack of precise definitions and the heterogeneity present in classic human anatomy textbooks. In particular, the frequent misuse of the terms synarthrosis, amphiarthrosis, and diarthrosis as synonyms for fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial joints, respectively, was identified. These findings reflect the need for critical teaching that links structure, function, name, and etymology as a strategy in the teaching-learning process of human anatomy.

KEY WORDS: Terminologia Anatomica; Education; Human Anatomy; Learning.

VIDAL-SEGUEL, N.; MIRANDA-KRAUSE, R.; LIZAMA-PÉREZ, R. & SANHUEZA-CANO, A. Clasificación articular: Una mirada desde la Terminologia Anatomica a su utilización en anatomía. Int. J. Morphol., 44(2):677-682, 2026.