Spinal lateral flexion occurs around which axis?

Spinal lateral flexion, which refers to the movement of the spine to either side, occurs around the z-axis. In biomechanical terms, movement around the z-axis is associated with rotational movements in the horizontal plane, allowing for side bending of the spine. This means that when the spine laterally flexes, it moves sideways while pivoting around the z-axis, which runs vertically through the body.

Understanding the orientation of the axes is key in biomechanics. The x-axis typically represents forward and backward motions (flexion and extension), the y-axis describes movements that occur in the frontal plane (such as abduction and adduction), and the t-axis is less commonly used in standard anatomical references. Thus, associating lateral flexion with the z-axis correctly identifies it as a horizontal plane movement where the body flexes sideways.