1. Flexion: Hip flexion involves bending the hip joint to bring the thigh closer to the abdomen. It occurs when the hip joint bends forward.
2. Extension: This is the opposite of flexion, where the hip joint straightens to move the thigh away from the abdomen. The leg moves back to its original position.
3. Abduction: Hip abduction is a movement where the leg is moved away from the body's midline in the frontal plane. It involves taking the leg out to the side.
4. Adduction: In contrast to abduction, hip adduction brings the leg closer to the body's midline in the frontal plane. It involves bringing the leg back to its original position.
5. Internal Rotation: This movement rotates the hip joint inward so that the foot turns towards the opposite hip.
6. External Rotation: External rotation involves turning the hip joint outward, resulting in the foot pointing away from the opposite hip.
7. Circumduction: This is a combination of all movements, where the leg moves in a circular path, encompassing flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction.
These movements are enabled by the intricate arrangement of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones that form the hip joint, making it one of the most versatile and crucial joints in the human body.