T7–T8 disc !
The T7-T8 disc is the thin cushion between the T7 and T8 vertebrae in the mid-back; it allows the small movement the ribs permit.
Official name: T7-T8
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What it is
The cushion between T7 and T8. Thoracic discs are thinner than neck or lower-back discs.
What it does
Absorbs load and allows the small amount of movement the rib cage permits.
Key facts
- Where
- Between T7 and T8 bodies; thin thoracic disc; head of rib 8 joins it
- Attaches
- Annulus fibrosus anchored to the endplates and ring apophyses of T7 and T8; anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments
- Function
- Absorbs and spreads load; herniation rare, often central onto the cord; lateral herniation may irritate the T7 root
How to find it
With the arms at the sides, the inferior angle of the scapula marks about the T7 spinous process. Mid-thoracic spinous processes slope steeply, so each tip overlies the body below; the T7–T8 disc lies a little above the T7 tip.
On imaging
Sagittal MRI with a scout image that includes C2 (or the sacrum) avoids miscounting; CT shows calcium in the disc or in a herniated fragment.
Common problems
- Thoracic disc herniations are uncommon; many are found by chance on MRI and cause no symptoms.
- A large one can press on the spinal cord, or cause band-like pain around the chest.
How it is diagnosed
MRI; CT shows whether the herniation is calcified (hardened), which matters for surgery.
Treatment
- Usually physical therapy and pain medicine; surgery only if the spinal cord is pressed.
Clinical notes
- In a lateral (thoracoscopic or retropleural) approach the head of rib 8 is followed inward, since it sits on the T7–T8 disc, and part of it is removed to expose the disc
- To avoid operating at the wrong level, a marker can be placed before surgery (a coil, a wire or cement in a nearby pedicle) and found again on fluoroscopy
Anatomical variants
- Eleven or thirteen pairs of ribs, a cervical rib, or a lumbosacral transitional vertebra (common) shifts the count of levels, a classic source of level errors
Development
Congenital scoliosis comes from errors of early vertebral formation, most often in the thoracic spine: half a body may fail to form (hemivertebra), or two bodies may fail to separate, leaving no disc between them (unsegmented bar).
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which surface landmark helps locate the T7–T8 disc?
The inferior angle of the scapula, with the arms at the sides: it lies at about the T7 spinous process, and the T7–T8 disc sits a little above that tip because mid-thoracic spinous processes slope steeply.
Why is wrong-level surgery a known risk at the T7–T8 disc, and how is it avoided?
Mid-thoracic levels look alike on imaging; the level is counted from C2 or from the sacrum (a sagittal MRI scout that includes C2) and checked against the ribs.
Before surgery for a T7–T8 disc herniation, what does CT add to MRI?
It shows whether the disc or the herniated fragment is calcified, which matters for surgery; MRI shows the disc and whether the spinal cord is pressed.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- discus intervertebralis T7-T8 TA2 1684
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Disco T7-T8 DeCS D007403
- English (TA2)
- T7-T8
- Also called
- fibrous ring · fibrocartilago intervertebralis
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); DeCS; Anatomy, Back, Intervertebral Discs.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
