What does horizontal abduction refer to?

Horizontal abduction refers to the movement of a body part away from the midline of the body while being parallel to the ground. This specific movement typically occurs in the transverse plane, which divides the body into upper and lower halves. An example of horizontal abduction is the action of raising the arms out to the sides when they are at shoulder height, moving them parallel to the floor.

The correct terminology distinguishes horizontal abduction from other movements. For instance, the movement toward the midline is characterized as adduction, while movement upward or downward indicates flexion or extension, or other directional movements, but do not apply to the horizontal plane. Thus, understanding horizontal abduction is essential for describing movements accurately in both exercise and anatomy contexts.