In which plane does abduction/adduction occur?

Abduction and adduction are movements that occur in the transverse plane, which is also referred to as the horizontal plane. This plane divides the body into upper and lower parts and allows for rotational movements.

Abduction refers to the movement of a limb away from the midline of the body, while adduction is the movement towards the midline. These movements primarily occur at joints such as the shoulder and hip. For instance, when raising your arm sideways away from your body, that is abduction; bringing it back down towards your side is adduction.

The other planes do not accommodate these specific movements. The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right sections and is primarily involved in flexion and extension. The coronal (or frontal) plane divides the body into anterior and posterior sections, which deals with frontal movements rather than rotary motion. In contrast, the transverse plane allows for the rotations and the side movements that characterize abduction and adduction.