Retraction

Retraction is the opposite of protraction movement, which refers to bringing the protracted scapula or the mandible back into their original positions.

Protraction means to protrude or stick out a part of the body. For instance, when throwing a punch with abducted arms, a muscle originating from the chest wall–called serratus anterior–contracts and drags the scapula forwards over the rib cage, causing protraction of scapula. Similarly, sticking the mandible or the lower jaw bone outwards is called protraction of mandible. As mentioned above, bringing them back to their original positions is called retraction.