Tri-Planar Motion of the Spine includes which movements?

Tri-Planar Motion of the Spine includes which movements?

• A. Flexion/extension only
• B. Rotation only
• C. Sidebending only
• D. Flexion/extension, rotation, and sidebending

Answer: (D)

Tri-planar motion means the spine can move in three anatomical planes: sagittal (flexion and extension), frontal (side bending), and transverse (rotation). These are the fundamental movements the spine can perform, and real-life motion often combines them. So the full set of motions included in tri-planar movement is flexion/extension, rotation, and side bending. Limiting to just one plane ignores the spine’s capacity to move in the other planes, which is why the complete answer is the correct choice.

Tri-planar motion means the spine can move in three anatomical planes: sagittal (flexion and extension), frontal (side bending), and transverse (rotation). These are the fundamental movements the spine can perform, and real-life motion often combines them. So the full set of motions included in tri-planar movement is flexion/extension, rotation, and side bending. Limiting to just one plane ignores the spine’s capacity to move in the other planes, which is why the complete answer is the correct choice.