How Joints Differ in Design (AQA GCSE Physical Education (PE))

Revision Note

The different types of joint (e.g. hinge or ball and socket) cause movement of the bones at the joint in different ways
This movement is dependent on the way the bones join together at the joint and the way they are connected to each other and muscles via tendons and ligaments
This creates opportunities for different types of movement during sporting activities

Type of joint movement	Description of joint movement	Example of where the joint movement can take place
Flexion	Bending movement decreasing the angle between two bones	Shoulder, elbow, hip, knee
Extension	Moving a bent limb into a straight position	Shoulder, elbow, hip, knee
Abduction	Movement of a limb away from the midline of the body at a joint	Shoulder e.g. raising of the arms into a T-pose
Adduction	Movement of a limb towards the midline of the body at a joint	Shoulder e.g. lowering the arms back against the body
Rotation	Movement in a circular motion towards or around the long axis of a limb	Shoulder
Circumduction	Movement in a circular motion combining flexion, extension, adduction and abduction	Shoulder e.g. when spinning the arm during bowling
Plantar flexion	Pointing of the toes towards the ground	Ankle
Dorsiflexion	Pulling the toes up away from the ground	Ankle