What are the types of joint and the types of movement at joints, and how do they let the body perform sporting actions?
The types of synovial joint (hinge and ball and socket), the types of movement at joints (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation and circumduction), and how joints and movement are applied to physical activity.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on movement and joints, covering the types of synovial joint, the range of movements (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation and circumduction), and how joints and movement are applied to sport.
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to know the types of synovial joint (especially the hinge and ball and socket joints), the types of movement that joints allow (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation and circumduction), and to apply joints and movement to named sporting actions. This topic joins the skeletal and muscular systems: bones meet at joints, and muscles move the bones through these movements.
Types of synovial joint
A hinge joint has a smaller range of movement but is stable, which suits the elbow and knee. A ball and socket joint has the widest range of movement of any joint, which lets the arm circle when bowling or the leg swing when kicking.
Types of movement
| Joint | Type | Movements allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Elbow | Hinge | Flexion, extension |
| Knee | Hinge | Flexion, extension |
| Shoulder | Ball and socket | Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation, circumduction |
| Hip | Ball and socket | Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation, circumduction |
Examples in context
Example 1. Naming joint, movement and muscle together. CCEA often asks you to analyse an action fully. In a biceps curl, the joint is the elbow (a hinge joint), the movement on lifting is flexion, and the agonist muscle is the biceps. In a star jump, the shoulders and hips (ball and socket joints) abduct as the arms and legs move out, then adduct as they come back in. Practising this three-part analysis (joint, movement, muscle) prepares you for the applied questions.
Example 2. Why joint type suits the activity. The stability of the hinge joints at the knee and ankle helps a sprinter drive forward without the joint giving way, while the wide range of the ball and socket shoulder lets a swimmer pull the arm through a full stroke. Matching the joint type to its range of movement and to the demands of a sport is exactly the kind of application CCEA rewards.
Try this
Q1. State the type of movement happening at the knee as a footballer straightens the leg to kick. [1 mark]
- Cue. Extension (the joint angle increases).
Q2. Name the type of joint at the hip and one movement it allows that a hinge joint cannot. [2 marks]
- Cue. Ball and socket; it allows rotation or circumduction (a hinge joint cannot).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA 2019 Paper 14 marksName the type of joint at the shoulder and at the elbow, and state the range of movement each allows.Show worked answer →
Two marks for the joint types and two for the movements they allow.
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. It allows movement in many directions: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation and circumduction.
The elbow is a hinge joint. It allows movement in one plane only: flexion (bending) and extension (straightening).
Markers reward ball and socket at the shoulder with a wide range of movement named, and hinge at the elbow with flexion and extension only.
CCEA 2021 Paper 13 marksA footballer swings the leg back to kick a ball. Identify the joint, the type of movement at the hip as the leg swings forward, and one muscle producing the movement.Show worked answer →
One mark each for the joint, the movement and a relevant muscle.
The hip is a ball and socket joint, so it allows a wide range of movement.
As the leg swings forward to strike the ball, the movement at the hip is flexion (the joint angle at the front decreases).
The movement is produced by muscles such as the hip flexors, while the quadriceps straightens the knee to complete the kick.
Markers reward ball and socket joint, flexion at the hip on the forward swing, and a relevant named muscle.
Related dot points
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