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facet. A small flat surface on a bone or tooth or other hard body. A facet may be natural, as on the arches of the vertebrae, or the result of wear. Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005.
The facet joints (also zygapophysial joints, zygapophyseal, apophyseal, or Z-joints) are a set of synovial, plane joints between the articular processes of two adjacent vertebrae. There are two facet joints in each spinal motion segment and each facet joint is innervated by the recurrent meningeal nerves.
The zygapophyseal joints, also called facet joints, are joints of the vertebral column that are classified as joints of the vertebral arches. More specifically, they are plane synovial joints between the superior and inferior articular processes on adjoining vertebrae.
There are two facet joints in each spinal motion segment. The facet joints are situated between the pedicle and lamina of the same vertebra and form the articular pillars that act to provide structural stability to the vertebral column as a whole.
Facet joints are the only synovial joints in the spine and can be involved in a large number of pathological processes including arthropathy, infection, inflammation, trauma and tumour.
Facet joints help the spine to bend, twist, and extend in different directions. Although these joints enable movement, they also restrict excessive movement such as hyperextension and hyperflexion (i.e. whiplash). Each vertebra has two sets of facet joints.
Facet joints are pairs of small joints in between the vertebrae in the back of the spine. These joints have opposing surfaces of cartilage, which limits friction between the bones. The joint is surrounded by a capsule filled with a small amount of synovial fluid.