What is the term for movement that causes the end of the bone to move in a circular motion?

Circumduction refers to a type of joint movement that describes a circular motion. In this action, the end of the bone moves in a circular path while allowing movement in multiple planes, such as flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction. It typically occurs at ball-and-socket joints, like the shoulder or hip, where the range of motion benefits from all these movements.

In contrast, rotation specifically refers to the pivoting of a bone around its axis, while flexion involves decreasing the angle between two body parts, and extension is the opposite, increasing that angle. These other terms describe more specific movements rather than the broad circular motion encapsulated in circumduction. Therefore, when considering the definition and application of these movements, circumduction stands out as the correct term for describing the movement that encompasses a circular trajectory of the end of a bone.