T9–T10 disc !
The T9-T10 disc is the thin cushion between the T9 and T10 vertebrae in the mid-back; it allows the small movement the ribs permit.
Official name: T9-T10
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What it is
The cushion between T9 and T10: a tough outer ring of fibres (annulus fibrosus) around a soft centre.
What it does
Absorbs load and allows the small amount of movement the rib cage permits.
Key facts
- Where
- Between T9 and T10 bodies; thin thoracic disc; rib 10 head joins it only when it has two facets
- Attaches
- Annulus fibrosus anchored to the endplates and ring apophyses of T9 and T10; anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments
- Function
- Absorbs and spreads load; herniation rare (most at T8–T12), often central onto the cord; lateral herniation may irritate the T9 root
Relations
- In front
- Thoracic aorta near the midline, with the esophagus in front of it heading for the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm at about T10; the azygos vein and thoracic duct to the right
- Lateral
- Head of rib 10 only when it has two facets (often it meets T10 alone); the greater and lesser splanchnic nerves on the side of the body
- Behind
- Posterior longitudinal ligament and the lower thoracic spinal cord
How to find it
In front, the xiphisternal joint lies at about the level of T9; from behind, the disc is near the tip of the T9 spinous process. Counting upward from the 12th rib is a second check.
On imaging
Operating at the wrong level is a known risk in the lower thoracic spine. The level is fixed on MRI by counting from C2 (and from the sacrum, since rib and lumbar counts vary) and marked with fluoroscopy during surgery.
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
- Reached through the chest (thoracoscopic or open) or from behind and to the side; a calcified disc stuck to the dura favours a route with a direct view of its front
- In ankylosing spondylitis the discs bridge over with bone; even a minor fall can break straight through a disc of the rigid thoracic spine, an unstable injury that is easily missed on plain X-rays
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Where is the pain of a lateral T9–T10 disc herniation felt?
In a band just above the umbilicus, the T9 root; it can pass for upper abdominal disease.
Why does a calcified T9–T10 disc herniation make surgery riskier?
A hard calcified fragment can stick to or erode the dura, raising the risk of a cerebrospinal fluid leak; a route with a direct view of the front of the disc is favoured.
Which structure in front of the T9–T10 disc heads for a diaphragmatic hiatus at about T10?
The esophagus: it lies in front of the thoracic aorta and reaches the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm at about T10.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- discus intervertebralis T9-T10 TA2 1684
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Disco T9-T10 DeCS D007403
- English (TA2)
- T9-T10
- Also called
- fibrous ring · fibrocartilago intervertebralis
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); DeCS; Anatomy, Back, Intervertebral Discs; 7.3 The Vertebral Column (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, CC BY 4.0.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
