Your friend claims that the elbow is a ball and socket joint because it can perform circumduction with just their upper arm

Question

What type of joint is your elbow, and what movements can it and the rest of your arm perform to mimic circumduction?

Answer 1

Erica,

 

Elbow joint is a synovial hinge joint, it can perform flexion, extension, adduction and abduction. All these four movements are part of circumduction.

 

Flexion: Bending movement that decreases angle between two body parts.

 

Extension: Bending movement that increases angle between two body parts.

 

Abduction: A movement that pulls the part of the body away from the midline of the body.

 

Adduction: A movement that pulls the part of the body closer to the midline of the body.

 

Elbow joint can participate/perform all these four movements.

 

Hope this helps.