Palpation Palmer Practice Exam

When you assess circumduction, you’re looking for coordinated motion on both sides of a paired joint system. The sacroiliac joints, one on each side where the sacrum meets the ilia, are this paired system in the pelvis. In a healthy person, these joints move in a mirrored, coordinated way as the pelvis undergoes circular movement. If one side moves differently than the other, it can indicate SI joint dysfunction or pelvic instability. Although joints like the hip or shoulder can perform circumduction, the symmetry check in this pelvic context centers on the sacroiliac joints, so they should move symmetrically on both sides.