|
Anatomy of The Spine
The word “thoracic”
means pertaining to
the chest, and the
thoracic spine (also
called the upper back
or mid-back) is the
portion of the spinal
column that
corresponds to the
chest area (Figure
1).
Twelve vertebrae in
the middle of the
spine with ribs
attached make up the
thoracic spine. When
viewed from the side,
this section of the
spine is slightly
concave.
Each vertebra in the
thoracic spine is
connected to a rib on
both sides at every
level and these in
turn meet in the
front and attach to
the sternum (the
breastbone). This
creates a cage (the
thoracic cage) that
provides structural
protection for the
vital organs of the
heart, lungs and
liver, and also
creates a cavity for
the lungs to expand
and contract.
The upper nine ribs
start at the spine,
curve around and are
joined at the front
of the chest. Because
the ribs are firmly
attached at the back
(the spine) and the
front (the sternum),
they allow for very
limited motion in the
spine.
The lower three ribs
do not join together
at the front, but do
function to protect
the vital organs
while allowing for
slightly more motion.
The joints between
the bottom thoracic
vertebra (T12) and
the top lumber
vertebra (L1 in the
lower back) allow
twisting movement
from side to side.
Because there is
little motion and a
great deal of
stability throughout
the upper back
(thoracic spine),
this section of the
spine does not tend
to develop common
spinal disorders,
such as a herniated
disc, spinal
stenosis,
degenerative disc
disease, or spinal
instability. These
conditions can cause
upper back pain but
are exceedingly rare
in the upper back.
Because of this
stability and lack of
motion, in most cases
anatomic causes of
upper back pain
cannot be found, and
an MRI scan or CT
scan will rarely
image an anatomic
problem that is
amenable to any sort
of surgical solution
for the upper back
pain.
|
