What is circumduction?

• A. Rotation around a fixed joint.
• B. Movement in a straight line.
• C. Cone-shaped movement, proximal end remains stationary and the distal end moves in a circle.
• D. Limb bending at a joint with no rotation

Answer: (C)

Circumduction is a cone-shaped movement in which the distal end of a limb traces a circle while the proximal end stays relatively fixed. This happens by combining flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction at a joint—most clearly at ball-and-socket joints like the shoulder or hip. For example, when you move your arm in a wide circle, the hand describes a circular path while the shoulder serves as the pivot point. This is different from rotation, which turns the limb around its own axis; it’s also not a straight-line motion (that would be linear translation) or simply bending without rotating (that would be flexion or extension).