Movements at Joints

This lesson covers all eight movements at joints as required by the Edexcel GCSE PE specification (1PE0 — Topic 1: Applied Anatomy and Physiology). You need to be able to define each movement, identify which joints allow it, and apply each movement to sporting examples. The Edexcel specification requires all eight movements including plantarflexion and dorsiflexion.

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Overview of the Eight Movements

Movement	Definition	Joint(s)
Flexion	Decreasing the angle at a joint	Shoulder, hip, knee, elbow, wrist
Extension	Increasing the angle at a joint	Shoulder, hip, knee, elbow, wrist
Abduction	Movement away from the midline of the body	Shoulder, hip, wrist
Adduction	Movement towards the midline of the body	Shoulder, hip, wrist
Rotation	Movement of a bone around its long axis	Shoulder, hip, neck (pivot)
Circumduction	A combination of flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction creating a cone-shaped movement	Shoulder, hip
Plantarflexion	Pointing the toes downward (extending the ankle)	Ankle
Dorsiflexion	Pulling the toes upward (flexing the ankle)	Ankle

Exam Tip: You must use the terms plantarflexion and dorsiflexion when describing movements at the ankle — do not write "flexion" or "extension" of the ankle. Edexcel examiners specifically require these terms.

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1. Flexion

Flexion is a movement that decreases the angle between two bones at a joint. Think of it as folding or bending a joint.

Sporting Examples

Sporting Action	Joint	Description
Pulling back the arm to throw	Shoulder	The angle between the humerus and the trunk decreases
Bending the arm during a bicep curl	Elbow	The angle between the humerus and the radius/ulna decreases
Bringing the knee up when running	Hip	The angle between the femur and the pelvis decreases
Bending the knee before a jump	Knee	The angle between the femur and the tibia decreases
Cocking the wrist back in badminton	Wrist	The angle at the wrist decreases

graph LR
    A["Joint in<br>extended position"] -->|"Angle decreases"| B["Joint in<br>flexed position"]

    style A fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style B fill:#e67e22,color:#fff

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2. Extension

Extension is a movement that increases the angle between two bones at a joint. It is the opposite of flexion — think of it as straightening or opening a joint.

Sporting Examples

Sporting Action	Joint	Description
Follow-through when throwing	Shoulder	The angle between the humerus and the trunk increases
Straightening the arm at the top of a bicep curl	Elbow	The angle between the humerus and the radius/ulna increases
Driving the leg backwards in sprinting	Hip	The angle between the femur and the pelvis increases
Straightening the leg to kick a ball	Knee	The angle between the femur and the tibia increases

Exam Tip: Many exam questions involve identifying flexion and extension in a sporting action. Remember: if the angle is getting smaller, it is flexion. If the angle is getting bigger, it is extension. Imagine placing a protractor at the joint.

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3. Abduction

Abduction is a movement away from the midline of the body. Think of "abducting" — taking away from the centre.

Sporting Examples

Sporting Action	Joint	Description
Star jump — arms moving outwards	Shoulder	The arm moves away from the side of the body
Star jump — legs moving outwards	Hip	The leg moves away from the midline
Goalkeeper stretching arms wide	Shoulder	The arms move away from the body
Performing the splits	Hip	The legs move away from the midline

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4. Adduction

Adduction is a movement towards the midline of the body. It is the opposite of abduction — think of "adding" the limb back to the body.

Sporting Examples

Sporting Action	Joint	Description
Returning to standing from a star jump	Shoulder and hip	The arms and legs return to the midline
Pulling a rowing oar towards the body	Shoulder	The arm moves towards the midline
A swimmer bringing arms together in breaststroke	Shoulder	The arms adduct through the water
Bringing the legs together after a stride	Hip	The legs return to the midline

Exam Tip: To distinguish abduction and adduction, remember: ab = away, ad = add (towards). Many students confuse these — practise identifying them in different sports.

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5. Rotation

Rotation is the movement of a bone turning around its long axis. It can be internal (inward) or external (outward) rotation.

Sporting Examples

Sporting Action	Joint	Description
Turning the head to look for a pass	Neck (pivot)	The atlas rotates around the axis
Winding up for a discus throw	Hip and shoulder	The trunk and arm rotate around their long axes
A golf swing	Hip and shoulder	Rotation of the trunk generates power
Forehand in tennis	Shoulder	The shoulder rotates as the arm swings across the body

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