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How do abduction and adduction move a limb in relation to the body's midline?

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Medical illustration of a human knee joint in a parasagittal section just lateral to the midline, labeling ligaments, cartilage, meniscus, patella, synovial structures, and surrounding muscles and fat pads. — joint The ligaments and cartilage in a knee joint.

In the context of the joint and skeleton, abduction and adduction are opposing movements that describe the position of a limb relative to the body's midline:

Abduction: This movement draws or spreads a limb away from the body’s midline or the median axis of the body.12
Adduction: This movement draws a limb toward the body’s midline, moving it from a lateral position to a more axial alignment.134

For example, during a jumping-jack exercise, the legs undergo abduction as they move outward and adduction as they return toward the center of the body. These actions are performed by specific muscle groups, such as the abductor muscles and adductor muscles, which are essential for controlling the positioning and stability of the limbs.34