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Multiple Choice

Which movement turns the palm downward?

Pronation is the movement that turns the palm downward. In this action, the radius rotates over the ulna, causing the forearm to cross so the palm faces posteriorly (downward in the usual anatomical setup). Supination is the opposite, turning the palm upward as when holding something like soup. Circumduction describes a circular, cone-shaped motion at a joint that combines multiple movements and isn’t about orienting the hand specifically downward. Rotation refers to turning around an axis, such as rotating the arm inward or outward, but it doesn’t by itself describe turning the palm downward.

Pronation is the movement that turns the palm downward. In this action, the radius rotates over the ulna, causing the forearm to cross so the palm faces posteriorly (downward in the usual anatomical setup). Supination is the opposite, turning the palm upward as when holding something like soup. Circumduction describes a circular, cone-shaped motion at a joint that combines multiple movements and isn’t about orienting the hand specifically downward. Rotation refers to turning around an axis, such as rotating the arm inward or outward, but it doesn’t by itself describe turning the palm downward.