T7 vertebra !
T7 is the seventh thoracic (mid-back) vertebra; it has joints for the ribs and helps form the cage that protects the heart and lungs.
Official name: T7
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What it is
The T7 mid-back vertebra, with joints on each side for the ribs.
What it does
Holds up the trunk and, with the ribs and breastbone, forms the rib cage, which protects the heart and lungs. The ribs make this part of the spine stiff.
Key facts
- Joints with
- T6 above and T8 below (discs, facet joints); heads of ribs 7 and 8; tubercle of rib 7 (costotransverse joint)
- Landmarks
- Typical thoracic: heart-shaped body; costal demifacets above and below; transverse costal facets; long sloping spine; spine level with inferior angle of scapula
Relations
- In front
- Esophagus drifting left and forward as it descends, with the descending thoracic aorta at the left front of the body
- Lateral
- Heads of the seventh and eighth ribs; the hemiazygos system on the left and the azygos vein on the right
- Behind
- Latissimus dorsi starts from the spines at about T7 and below, deep to the lower trapezius
- Contents
- Spinal cord, its segments now about three levels below the vertebral number
How to find it
Standing or sitting with the arms hanging, the inferior angles of the scapulae are felt at the bottom of the shoulder blades; a horizontal line between them crosses the T7 spine. Raised or folded arms move the angles and spoil the landmark.
Examination
- Adams forward bend test: bending forward shows an angular hump at the apex in Scheuermann kyphosis and a one-sided rib hump in scoliosis
- Prone extension: a postural round back corrects, while Scheuermann kyphosis stays fixed
On imaging
Lateral view in Scheuermann disease: wedged bodies, irregular endplates and Schmorl nodes over several levels. The Cobb method measures the kyphosis between the most tilted endplates.
Common problems
- Compression fractures from osteoporosis, sometimes after a minor fall or even a cough.
- A rounded upper back (kyphosis) from posture, wedge fractures or Scheuermann disease in teens.
- Scoliosis: a sideways curve with rotation, often starting in adolescence.
How it is diagnosed
X-rays for fractures and curves (scoliosis is measured with the Cobb angle). MRI tells new fractures from old ones. A bone density scan (DEXA) checks for osteoporosis.
Treatment
- Osteoporosis fractures: pain control, a short time in a brace, and treatment of the osteoporosis.
- Painful fractures that do not settle: kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty (cement injected into the bone).
- Large or progressive curves: bracing in growing children, sometimes fusion surgery.
Clinical notes
- An angular hump (gibbus) from collapse of one or two mid-thoracic bodies suggests tuberculosis or a tumor rather than posture
- Thoracentesis and posterior chest procedures are usually done below the scapular angle, where the lung bases and the costodiaphragmatic recess lie
Development
Scheuermann kyphosis appears during the adolescent growth spurt, when growth at the front of several vertebral bodies falls behind growth at the back, leaving them wedge-shaped.
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which landmark lies at the level of the spine of the T7 vertebra?
The inferior angle of the scapula, with the arms by the sides; raised or folded arms spoil the landmark.
How is Scheuermann kyphosis, often with its apex around T7–T9, defined on X-ray?
Wedging of 5° or more in at least three adjacent vertebrae, with irregular endplates and Schmorl nodes.
What does the Adams forward bend test show in the thoracic spine?
An angular hump at the apex in Scheuermann kyphosis, and a one-sided rib hump in scoliosis.
What does an angular hump (gibbus) from collapse of one or two mid-thoracic bodies, such as T7, suggest?
Tuberculosis or a tumor, rather than posture.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- vertebra thoracica VII TA2 1059
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Vértebra dorsal D7 DeCS D013904
- English (TA2)
- T7
Related
- T6–T7 disc
- T7–T8 disc
- Posterior intercostal arteries
- Anterior longitudinal ligament
- Rib-to-spine ligaments
- Endplates
- Mid-back facet joints
- Interspinous ligaments
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); DeCS; Anatomy, Back, Thoracic Vertebrae.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
