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Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Muscles, Joints and Movement

Abduction

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/æbˈdʌkʃən/nounCommon term

In anatomy & physiology, abduction means: Movement of a limb or body part away from the midline of the body, such as raising the arm out to the side.

In Turkish: abdüksiyon, uzaklaştırma

How it is used

Paired with adduction in anatomy and physiotherapy. The verb is abduct, and the muscles are abductors. For the fingers the reference line is the middle finger, so spreading the fingers apart is abduction.

Example sentences

  1. Shoulder abduction above 90 degrees causes him pain.

  2. The deltoid is the main muscle for abduction of the arm.

Common collocations

  • shoulder abduction
  • hip abduction
  • abductor muscles
  • abduct the arm
  • adductionMovement of a limb or body part toward the midline of the body, such as bringing a raised arm back down to the side.
  • flexionA bending movement that decreases the angle between two body parts, such as bending the elbow or the knee.
  • jointA place where two or more bones meet. Some joints, like the knee, move freely; others, like those between the bones of the skull, hardly move at all.
  • medialCloser to the midline, the imaginary vertical line that divides the body into left and right halves. For example, the nose is medial to the eyes.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Muscles, Joints and Movement

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.