How many degrees of freedom do spinal joints have?

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Multiple Choice

How many degrees of freedom do spinal joints have?

Movement occurs in six independent ways at each spinal segment. There are three rotational motions: flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. There are also three translational motions: forward-backward, side-to-side, and up-down. Together these define six degrees of freedom for the joints between adjacent vertebrae. In practice, the discs and facet joints constrain and couple these movements, but the anatomical potential is six independent directions of motion.

Movement occurs in six independent ways at each spinal segment. There are three rotational motions: flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. There are also three translational motions: forward-backward, side-to-side, and up-down. Together these define six degrees of freedom for the joints between adjacent vertebrae. In practice, the discs and facet joints constrain and couple these movements, but the anatomical potential is six independent directions of motion.

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