circumduction /sur′kəmduk″shən/ [L, circum + ducere, to lead] , 1. one of the four basic movements allowed by the various joints of the skeleton. It is a combination of abduction, adduction, extension, and flexion. An example is the motion of a bone whose head articulates with a cavity, such as the femur with the acetabulum. The motion of the bone circumscribes a cone, the apex of which is in the cavity and the base of which is described by the distal end of the bone. 2. the circular movement of a limb or of the eye. Compare angular movement, gliding, rotation.
