Definition - What does adduction mean?
Adduction is an anatomical term of motion used to identify the movement of a limb or body part toward the center or medial line of the body. Adduction also refers to the movement of the fingers or toes toward the center of the hand or foot. The opposite term is abduction which references movements away from the body?s midline.
SureHire explains adduction
The term adduction can be used to describe a number of motions. For instance, a person folding their arms across their chest or squeezing their toes together are examples of adduction. When a person?s eye turns toward his or her nose, it is adducted. Because normal eye movement involves coordinated action, when one eye is adducted the other is abducted. If both eyes are adducted, the person will have crossed eyes, or strabismus. Muscles that facilitate adduction are called adductors.
Motions of adduction can be further classified depending on the exact motion and muscles involved. For example, adduction at the wrist is called ulnar deviation. During this motion, the hand moves toward the ulna or inner long bone of the forearm.
