When the facet is stuck in flexion, which movement remains normal?

When the facet is stuck in flexion, which movement remains normal?

• A. Flexion
• B. Extension
• C. Ipsilateral rotation
• D. Ipsilateral side flexion

Answer: (A)

The joints between the vertebrae (the facet joints) guide and limit how the spine moves by the way their surfaces glide against each other. When one facet is locked in a flexed position, the joint surfaces are already in that flexed alignment, so the movement into flexion doesn’t require a new glide that would be blocked by the lock. In contrast, trying to extend would push the already flexed surfaces toward impingement or uncomfortable contact, making extension (and often other directions like rotation or side bending on that side) more restricted. Because flexion is the direction the facet is fixed in, it remains the movement that stays normal.

The joints between the vertebrae (the facet joints) guide and limit how the spine moves by the way their surfaces glide against each other. When one facet is locked in a flexed position, the joint surfaces are already in that flexed alignment, so the movement into flexion doesn’t require a new glide that would be blocked by the lock. In contrast, trying to extend would push the already flexed surfaces toward impingement or uncomfortable contact, making extension (and often other directions like rotation or side bending on that side) more restricted. Because flexion is the direction the facet is fixed in, it remains the movement that stays normal.