Spinal flexion

• A. Spinal rotation
• B. Bending forward; flexing the spine
• C. Lateral flexion
• D. Standing straight up

Answer: (B)

Spinal flexion is bending the spine forward, which decreases the angle between the upper body and the pelvis. This occurs when you tilt or curl the trunk toward the thighs, as in touching your toes or performing a sit-up. It’s a movement in the sagittal plane focused on the spine itself. This is different from spinal rotation (twisting the trunk), lateral flexion (bending to the side), or standing straight up (neutral posture with no forward bending). So the description of bending forward and flexing the spine best matches spinal flexion.