outwardturning

Outwardturning is the movement of a body part turning away from the midline of the body around its longitudinal axis. In anatomical terms, this is usually described as external rotation or lateral rotation. The concept applies to multiple regions, including the shoulder, hip, forearm, and, in a different sense, the foot.

In the shoulder, outwardturning involves rotating the upper arm so the front of the shoulder moves outward, aided by external rotator muscles such as the infraspinatus and teres minor. In the hip, outwardturning refers to rotating the thigh away from the midline, powered by deep lateral rotator muscles including the gemelli, obturators, piriformis, and related structures. For the forearm, outwardturning corresponds to movements that position the palm facing laterally or anteriorly depending on the starting position, a function related to external rotation of the forearm. The foot may appear to turn outward in actions described as eversion, which is a complex combination of calcaneal and talar movements rather than pure rotation at a single joint.

Measurement of outwardturning is commonly performed with a goniometer to assess external rotation at the shoulder or hip, and is a standard component of musculoskeletal examination. Clinically, limited outwardturning can indicate pathology such as adhesive capsulitis, rotator cuff injury, hip impingement, or other joint restrictions, while excessive outwardturning can be seen in certain postural or structural conditions.

Outwardturning is distinct from inwardturning (internal rotation) and should be distinguished from foot eversion, which describes a different plane of movement.