NBCE Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners

Question: 1 / 400

Which of these decreases facet weight bearing?

Extension of the spine

Flexion of the spine

Flexion of the spine decreases facet weight bearing due to the mechanics involved in spinal movement. When the spine is flexed, the anterior parts of the vertebrae move closer together, which reduces the contact forces on the posterior facets. As the angle at the facet joints changes during flexion, the load on these joints is lessened as the weight of the upper body shifts forward and downward. This mechanism allows for greater movement in the anterior direction, resulting in decreased pressure on the facet joints and, consequently, less weight bearing.

In contrast, extension of the spine would generally increase the weight bearing on the facets because it causes the spine to arch backward, increasing the contact pressure between the facets. Similarly, rotation and side bending create various shifts in load distribution, but do not lead to the same reduction in facet joint pressures as seen with flexion. Therefore, flexion uniquely allows for a decrease in the weight bearing on the facet joints.

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Rotation of the spine

Side bending of the spine

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