Which connective tissue connects bone to bone?

Which connective tissue connects bone to bone?

• A. Tendon
• B. Cartilage
• C. Fascia
• D. Ligament

Answer: (D)

Ligaments are the connective tissue that binds bones at joints, providing stability and guiding normal movement. They’re dense bands of collagen fibers designed to withstand tension, linking one bone to another so the joint stays properly aligned and protected from excessive or abnormal motion. For example, ligaments like the ACL or collateral ligaments connect bones in the knee, helping prevent dislocation or unintended shear forces. Tendons, by contrast, attach muscles to bones to transmit the force of muscle contraction. Fascia is a looser sheet-like connective tissue that envelopes and separates muscles and other structures, not primarily binding bones together. Cartilage covers joint surfaces to reduce friction and, in some places, forms cushioning structures, but it doesn’t function primarily to connect two bones.

Ligaments are the connective tissue that binds bones at joints, providing stability and guiding normal movement. They’re dense bands of collagen fibers designed to withstand tension, linking one bone to another so the joint stays properly aligned and protected from excessive or abnormal motion. For example, ligaments like the ACL or collateral ligaments connect bones in the knee, helping prevent dislocation or unintended shear forces.

Tendons, by contrast, attach muscles to bones to transmit the force of muscle contraction. Fascia is a looser sheet-like connective tissue that envelopes and separates muscles and other structures, not primarily binding bones together. Cartilage covers joint surfaces to reduce friction and, in some places, forms cushioning structures, but it doesn’t function primarily to connect two bones.