Thoracic vertebrae

Question 1

• number of thoracic vertebrae
• number of typical thoracic vertebrae
• number of atypical thoracic vertebrae

Answer 1

There are 12 thoracic vertebrae 
typical vertebrae (2nd-8th)
atypical vertebrae (1st, 9th-12th)

Question 2

Features of Typical Vertebrae

Answer 2

1) Body
- heart shaped
- transverse and anteroposterior border have equal diameter.
2) Has 2 demi-facets on either side:
- superior costal demifacet
- larger and placed superiorly near the pedicle.
- Inferior costal demifacet
- smaller and placed on lower border in front of inferior
vertebral notch.
3) Vertebral foramen
- smaller and circular
4) Lamina fuse together to form the spinous process.
5) spinous process goes downwards and backwards.
6) Has notches between facet and body, inferior notch is deep and superior notch is shallow.

Question 3

First Thoracic Vertebra

Answer 3

1) Body
- resembles body of a cervical vertebra
- it is broad and not heart shaped.
2) Superior costal facet is complete facet (articulates with head of first rib)
inferior costal facet is a demifacet (articulates with head of second rib).
3) Spine is thick, long and nearly horizontal.
4) superior vertebral notches are well marked.
5) facet on transverse process is concave on T1-T6.

Question 4

Ninth Thoracic Vertebra

Answer 4

• resembles typical thoracic vertebra
• only has superior costal demifacets, inferior costal demifacets are absent.
• facets on transverse process are flat. (T7-T10).

Question 5

First Thoracic Vertebra

Answer 5

1) Body
- resembles body of a cervical vertebra
- it is broad and not heart shaped.
2) Superior costal facet is complete facet (articulates with head of first rib)
inferior costal facet is a demifacet (articulates with head of second rib).
3) Spine is thick, long and nearly horizontal.
4) superior vertebral notches are well marked.
5) facet on transverse process is concave on T1-T6.

Question 6

Eleventh thoracic vertebrae

Answer 6

• has a complete superior costal facet on either side.

- has short transverse processes and no articular facet on them.

Question 7

Tenth thoracic vertebra

Answer 7

• resembles a typical thoracic vertebra.

- on either side has a complete superior costal facet.

Question 8

Eleventh thoracic vertebrae

Answer 8

• has a complete superior costal cartilage on either side.

- has short transverse processes and no articular facet on them.

Question 9

Twelfth thoracic vertebrae

Answer 9

• has a complete superior costal on the pedicle on either side.
• inferior articular facets are everted.
• spinous process is horizontal.
• the transverse process is small with 3 tubercles