thoracic vertebrae
Last reviewed 01/2018
The 12 thoracic vertebrae have common features that are best exemplifed by T5 to T8:
- body:
- squat, oval or heart-shaped
- posterolaterally have costal facets:
- oval facets near superior end of pedicle and transverse process junction
- demifacets near inferior margin of same junction
- vertebral foramina:
- round
- smaller than in cervical or lumbar regions
- pedicles:
- project from superior margin of posterior aspect of body
- become larger with successive inferior vertebrae
- have inferior vertebral notch on inferior margin
- laminae:
- project inferomedially to fuse at site of spinous process
- each set of superior laminae overlap inferior counterparts due to inferior projection
- spinous process:
- projects posteroinferiorly
- superior spinous process tends to overlap superior margin of spinous process below - trend most evident in middle of thoracic vertebrae
- transverse process:
- form at junction of pedicle with lamina
- project posterolaterally and gently slope superiorly
- anterior surface has concave, oval costal facet; on superior 10 ribs only
- origin of articular processes
- superior articular process is vertical and faces posterolaterally
- inferior articular process is shorter but has a complementary orientation to superior counterpart
Atypical thoracic vertebrae are considered in the submenu.