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# 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 points

- Surface landmark: with the arms at the sides, the inferior angle of the [scapula](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/scapula/) lies at about the T7 spinous process
- Mid-thoracic levels look alike on imaging and fluoroscopy, so wrong-level surgery is a known risk; the level is counted from C2 or from the [sacrum](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/sacrum/) and checked against the [ribs](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/ribs/)

## Key facts

**Where**
Between T7 and T8 bodies; thin thoracic disc; head of rib 8 joins it

**Attaches**
Annulus fibrosus anchored to the [endplates](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/vertebral-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](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/spinal-cord/), or cause band-like pain around the [chest](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/region/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](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/region/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.

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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

- [T7–T8 nucleus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t7-t8-spine-and-pelvis/)
- [T7 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t7/)
- [T8 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t8/)

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [DeCS](https://decs.bvsalud.org/es/ths/resource/?id=7567); [Anatomy, Back, Intervertebral Discs](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470583/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t7-t8/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t7-t8/