Lumbar spine primary motions occur in which plane?

• A. Flexion and extension
• B. Lateral flexion
• C. Rotation
• D. Spinal extension

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how the lumbar spine moves most of the time. The lumbar region primarily bends forward and backward, which happens in the sagittal plane. Flexion is bending forward and extension is moving back toward neutral or past neutral from a flexed position. The facet joints and the orientation of the lumbar vertebrae favor this front-to-back motion, making flexion and extension the dominant movements. Lateral flexion (bending to the side) and rotation do occur but to a lesser extent in the lumbar spine, so they’re not the primary motions in this region.