What does shoulder abduction involve?

Shoulder abduction involves the movement of the arm away from the body in the coronal plane. When the arm is abducted, it typically moves upward and outward, away from the midline of the body. This movement is primarily facilitated by muscles such as the deltoid and the supraspinatus. Understanding abduction is essential for recognizing how the shoulder joint functions in various activities, such as reaching or lifting objects to the side. This distinction is important as it clarifies that abduction is specifically about moving the limb away from the center of the body rather than towards it or involving other types of motion like rotation or flexion.