Anatomy word of the month: synovial

This term is a combining of two Greek words meaning “to put together with an egg” and describes the construction of certain joints in the body. For example, your knee joint is a membrane lined cavity (synovial membrane, synovial cavity) filled with a fluid resembling egg white (synovial fluid) which serves as a lubricant. One potential cause of joint pain can be inflammation of the lining membrane, called synovitis.