Thoracic vertebrae

Thoracic vertebrae, vertebrae thoracicae, number 12, much higher and thicker than the cervical vertebrae; the size Their bodies gradually increases towards the lumbar vertebrae .

On the posterolateral surface of the bodies there are two facets: the superior costal fovea, fovea costalis superior, and the lower costal fovea, fovea costalis inferior. The lower costal fossa of one vertebra forms a complete joint fossa with the superior costal fossa of the underlying vertebra - the junction of the rib head.

The exception is the body I of the thoracic vertebra, which has a full rib fossa on the top, articulating with the head of the 1st rib, and from below - the half-jumper, articulating with the head of the second rib. On the X vertebra, there is one half-chamber, at the upper edge of the body; The bodies of the XI and XII vertebrae have only one full fossa in the middle of each lateral surface of the vertebral body.

The arches of the thoracic vertebrae form rounded vertebral apertures, but are comparatively smaller than those of the cervical vertebrae .
The transverse process is directed to the outside and somewhat posterior and has a small costal fossa of the transverse process, fovea costalis processus transversus, articulating with the tubercle of the rib.

The articular surface of the articular processes lies in the frontal plane and is directed toward the posterior articular process, and at the anterior one - anteriorly.

The spinous processes are long, trihedral, pointed and facing downwards. The spinous processes of the middle thoracic vertebrae are located one above the other in a tile.

The lower thoracic vertebrae form close to the lumbar vertebrae. On the posterior surface of the transverse processes of the XI-XII thoracic vertebrae there are an additional process, processus accessorius, and the mastoid processus mamillaris.

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