Arrange the following articulating surfaces of various joint of body from top to bottom if a person is standing in anatomical position :
(i) Acetabulam
(ii) Glenoid cavity
(iii) Medial & lateral condyle of the femur
(iv) Trochlear notch

Question

Arrange the following articulating surfaces of various joint of body from top to bottom if a person is standing in anatomical position : 
(i) Acetabulam 
(ii) Glenoid cavity 
(iii) Medial & lateral condyle of the femur 
(iv) Trochlear notch

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (2):
The arrangement of these articulating surfaces from superior (top) to inferior (bottom), as viewed on a person standing in the standard anatomical position, is a test of fundamental human gross anatomy. The correct descending order is (ii) Glenoid cavity, (iv) Trochlear notch, (i) Acetabulam, and (iii) Medial & lateral condyle of the femur. The Glenoid cavity forms the socket of the shoulder joint, making it the most superior of the four. The Trochlear notch, which is part of the ulna, forms the elbow joint, placing it below the shoulder. The Acetabulam, the socket of the hip joint, is located on the pelvis, which is a lower structure in the torso compared to the shoulder girdle. Finally, the Medial and lateral condyles of the femur articulate with the tibia to form the knee joint, positioning it as the most inferior structure on this list.

The incorrect option is (1):
This option (i, iv, ii & iii) is incorrect because it incorrectly begins with (i) Acetabulam. The Acetabulam forms the hip joint, and in the anatomical position, the shoulder joint, containing the (ii) Glenoid cavity, is anatomically superior (above) to the hip joint. The sequence then places the (iv) Trochlear notch (elbow) before the (ii) Glenoid cavity (shoulder), which is also a vertical inversion of the upper limb joints. The sequence confuses the relative positions of both upper and lower body articulations.

The incorrect option is (3):
This option (ii, i, iii & iv) correctly identifies the (ii) Glenoid cavity (shoulder joint) as the starting, most superior point. However, it places the (i) Acetabulam (hip joint) next, incorrectly suggesting the hip is superior to the elbow. The (iv) Trochlear notch, which is the elbow joint, is correctly positioned in the upper limb, well above the pelvis and hip joint. Furthermore, the final position of (iv) Trochlear notch below the (iii) Medial & lateral condyle of the femur (knee) is factually wrong, as the elbow is always above the knee.

The incorrect option is (4):
This option (i, ii, iii & iv) contains multiple serious anatomical errors. It places the (i) Acetabulam (hip) first, which is incorrect, as the shoulder (ii) is superior to the hip. It then places the (ii) Glenoid cavity (shoulder) next, which is correct in relation to the items below it, but incorrect in the initial ranking. Most critically, it incorrectly ranks the (iv) Trochlear notch (elbow) as the absolute last structure, which is anatomically impossible because the elbow is located far above the knee joint (iii) in the lower limb.