The skeletal system includes 206 bones, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones, the joints where bones meet and the ligaments that connect bone to bone. The difference between a man's pelvis and a woman's pelvis. Also, the woman's bones are lighter, thinner and smoother. Although back pain results in more doctor visits than anything but the common cold, most back pain clears up on its own if you follow a few basic guidelines. The knee joint , connecting the thigh- and shinbones, is the biggest and most complex joint we have.
Women are more vulnerable to knee problems than men are.
Rheumatoid arthritis , a disease that causes inflammation of the joints, can affect joints throughout the body, but it generally shows up first in the small joints of the fingers, wrists, ankles and feet. The thin femoral neck bone in the hip is the vulnerable site of many fractures caused by the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. Since women are at far greater risk than men of getting disabling hip fractures as they age, it is important to build strong bones while you are still young. The joint at the base of the big toe is home base for the bony growth of a bunion. The eight bones of the cranium surround and protect your brain like a helmet.