Circumduction involves movement through which planes?

• A. All of the anatomical planes
• B. Sagittal plane only
• C. Frontal plane only
• D. Transverse plane only

Answer: (A)

Circumduction is a circular, cone-shaped movement created by combining actions across multiple planes rather than staying in one plane. As you move a limb in circumduction, you go through flexion and extension in the sagittal plane, abduction and adduction in the frontal (coronal) plane, and you also incorporate rotation components in the transverse plane. This blend allows the end of the limb to trace a circular path in space, which is why all three planes are involved.

If a movement were restricted to just a single plane—sagittal, frontal, or transverse—then it would describe only flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, or rotation, respectively, and would not produce the full circular path characteristic of circumduction.