Thoracic Spine

Question 1

What forms the thoracic spine?

Answer 1

12 pairs of ribs and the sternum

Question 2

What are the functions of the thoracic cage?

Answer 2

To protect the thoracic organs.
To form a joint between the upper limbs and the axial skeleton.
To provide attachments for muscles.

Question 3

Which 4 thoracic vertebra are considered typical?

Answer 3

T5 - T8 are considered typical

T1-T4 are similar to the cervical

T9 - T12 are similar to the lumbar

Question 4

What shape are the vertebral bodies?

Answer 4

Heart-shaped

Question 5

What are the attachments for the ribs?

Answer 5

Costal facets

Question 6

Describe the thoracic vertebrae.

Answer 6

Short tube-like pedicles
The laminae are taller than they are wide
Laminae are set obliquely
The spinous process is long and beak-like and
The spinous process points caudall

Question 7

What direction is the axial plane?

Answer 7

Horizontal

Question 8

What direction is the frontal plane?

Answer 8

Vertical

Question 9

Where do the ribs attach to the spine?

Answer 9

The costal tubercle of the rib attaches to the bulbous tips of the transverse processes of the vertebrae

Question 10

What does the T12 act as?

Answer 10

A bridge between the kyphotically curved thoracic spine and the lordotically curved lumbar spine.

Question 11

Where do the ribs articulate with the vertebral bodies?

Answer 11

At the costocentral articulations

Question 12

What are costovertebral joints?

Answer 12

Synovial joints made up of 2 costal facets, one on the superior border of the lower vertebra and one on the inferior border of the upper vertebra. This joint has a slight concavity, which fits perfectly with the slightly convex shaped head of the rib.

Question 13

What does the lnterosseous ligament attach?

Answer 13

The head of the rib between the two articular facets adn the disc divides the joint into two distinctive cavities, superior and inferior.

Question 14

What does the radiate ligament do?

Answer 14

It has three bands and reinforces the costovertebral joint

Question 15

Describe the Anterior Longitudinal Ligament

Answer 15

Cervical spine through thoracic to the lumbar
Thick fibrous structure
Wider than the vertebral bodies it attaches to
Attaches via short fibers to the annulus and the vertebral bodies

Question 16

Describe the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

Answer 16

The PLL is weaker than the ALL
It runs concurrent with the posterior aspect of the vertebral bodies
Runs from the cervical through the thoracic to the lumbar
Attaches to the vertebral bodies at the end plates and to the annulus

Question 17

Describe the interspinous ligament.

Answer 17

Connects adjacent spinous processes in the thoracic spine

It is especially well developed in the thoracic spine

Question 18

Describe the Supraspinous Ligament

Answer 18

Very strong band that connects the tips of hte spinous processes. It runs the full length of the thoracic spine

Question 19

Describe the Ligamentum Flavum

Answer 19

Yellow ligament
Very elastic
Runs on the underside of the lamina throughout the thoracic spine
Thicker in the thoracic spine than in the cervical

Question 20

Describe the intertransverse ligament.

Answer 20

Connects the inferior surface of one transverse process to the superior surface of the adjacent transverse process.
Also acts as an attachment for muscle groups.

Question 21

Describe the Costal Ligament.

Answer 21

Connects the head of each rib to the vertebra and intervening intervertebral disc

Question 22

Describe the Costotransverse Ligament.

Answer 22

Connects the neck of the rib to the transverse process.

It has 3 bands: anterior, middle and posterior.

Question 23

What is a transverse plane?

Answer 23

The transverse plane (also called the horizontal plane, axial plane, or transaxial plane) is an imaginary plane that divides the body into superior and inferior parts. It is perpendicular to the coronal and sagittal planes.

Question 24

Describe the posterior muscle group.

Answer 24

Divided into superficial, intermediate and deep muscle groups.

Question 25

What is the erector spinae?

Answer 25

The superficial posterior muscles are collectively called the erector spinae made up of 3 muscle groups called:
Iliocostalis
Longissimus
Spinalis

Question 26

Describe the Iliocostalis muscle group.

Answer 26

Erector spinae
The most lateral
Originates from the iliac crest and sacrum and extends superiorly to insert into the six lower ribs

Question 27

Describe the Longissimus muscle group

Answer 27

Erector spinae
3 parts and lie medial to the iliocostalis group
Connects transverse processes and the heads of ribs

Question 28

Describe the Spinalis muscle group.

Answer 28

Erector spinae
The most medial of the erector spinae muscles
Lower thoracic spinous processes up the midline to the upper spinous processes of the thoracic spine.

Question 29

What is the name of the intermediate thoracic muscle groups?

Answer 29

The Semispinalis

Question 30

What 3 muscle groups form the Semispinalis?

Answer 30

Semispinalis thoracis
Semispinalis Cervicis
Semispinalis Capitis

Question 31

What muscle groups make up the deep thoracic muscles?

Answer 31

Multifidus - transverse process up 4 levels to the spinous process
Intertransversari - transverse process to transverse process
Rotators - long and short - transverse process to base of spinous process - long are similar but cover 2 levels
Levator costae - transverse processes to the ribs

Question 32

What are the names of the 2 deep muscle groups which extend from the thoracic region down to the lumbar region?

Answer 32

The psoas and the quadratus lumborum - originate from the transverse processes from T12 to L5 and runs inferiorly blending into the iliacus muscles.

Question 33

Where does the thoracic aorta lie?

Answer 33

Anterior to the thoracic spine on the left side between T4 and T12

Question 34

Where do the intercostal arteries originate from?

Answer 34

From the posterior aspect of the thoracic aorta.