Abduction and adduction are movements that occur primarily in the frontal plane (dividing the body into front and back halves), describing motion away from or toward the body's midline.
Abduction is movement away from the midline:
- Raising the arm out to the side (shoulder abduction)
- Moving the leg laterally away from the body (hip abduction)
- Spreading the fingers apart (finger abduction)
- Moving the thumb away from the palm
Adduction is movement toward the midline:
- Lowering the arm back to the side of the body (shoulder adduction)
- Bringing the leg back toward the midline (hip adduction)
- Bringing the fingers together (finger adduction)
- Moving the thumb toward the palm
Special considerations:
- Hip Abduction/Adduction: Critical for lateral stability during single-leg stance and walking
- Shoulder Abduction/Adduction: Essential for reaching movements and overhead activities
- Scapular Abduction/Adduction: Refers to protraction (moving away from spine) and retraction (moving toward spine)
These movements play important roles in:
- Balance and Stability: Hip abductors stabilize the pelvis during walking
- Multi-Planar Movements: Most real-world activities involve abduction/adduction combined with other movements
- Injury Prevention: Weak hip abductors are linked to various lower limb injuries
- Sports Performance: Many skills require powerful and coordinated abduction/adduction movements
In clinical and performance settings, assessing abduction and adduction strength, range of motion, and control is crucial for:
- Identifying muscle imbalances
- Screening for injury risk
- Developing targeted strengthening programs
- Evaluating movement quality in multiple planes
Video analysis from frontal views allows precise measurement of abduction and adduction angles throughout movement sequences.