Circumduction (anatomy)

In anatomy, circumduction means to move a limb in a circular manner.

Circumduction is defined as the movement pattern which is a combination of flexion, extension, adduction and abduction. It occurs at synovial joints where a circle can be described by the body part. True circumduction can only really occur at Ball and socket joints, such as the hip and shoulder. A sporting example of circumduction occurs when performing a serve in tennis.