Which ligament slows the last few degrees of positive X (flexion)?

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End-range forward bending is limited by elastic ligaments that act like springs between the vertebrae. Ligamenta flava are rich in elastin and run between the laminae of adjacent vertebrae. As you flex, they lengthen and become taut in the final degrees of motion, resisting further flexion and helping to pull the spine back toward an upright position. This spring-like behavior is exactly what slows the last little bit of positive flexion.

The other ligaments have different primary roles. The anterior longitudinal ligament runs along the front of the spine and mainly resists extension, not end-range flexion. The alar ligaments constrain rotation and side bending at the craniovertebral junction. The posterior longitudinal ligament lies inside the spinal canal along the back of the vertebral bodies and does contribute to limiting flexion, but it isn’t the elastic brake that the ligamenta flava provide.