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Intervertebral disk of fourth thoracic vertebra: anatomy, location and function

The intervertebral disc between T4 and T5 (the T4–T5 disc), a fibrocartilage pad with a gel-like nucleus pulposus inside a ring-like anulus fibrosus. Absorbs compressive loads, acts as a shock absorber and allows slight movement between vertebrae.

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Highlighted in the model: Intervertebral disk of fourth thoracic vertebra. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Intervertebral disk of fourth thoracic vertebra at a glance

What it is
The intervertebral disc between T4 and T5 (the T4–T5 disc), a fibrocartilage pad with a gel-like nucleus pulposus inside a ring-like anulus fibrosus.
Location
Between the bodies of T4 and T5, the disc directly below the named vertebra (the T4/T5 disc).
Function
Absorbs compressive loads, acts as a shock absorber and allows slight movement between vertebrae.
Body system
Skeletal · single, midline structure
FMA ID
FMA13501 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • The crest on the head of rib 5 is tied to this disc by an intra-articular ligament, so the rib head sits across the disc between its two demifacets.
  • It lies at the level of the sternal angle (transverse thoracic plane), which also marks the tracheal bifurcation and the beginning and end of the aortic arch.
  • Thoracic discs are the thinnest in the column relative to their vertebral bodies, and the rib cage further limits movement, so thoracic disc herniation is rare (well under 1% of all disc herniations).

Structures next to the intervertebral disk of fourth thoracic vertebra

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Intervertebral disk of fourth thoracic vertebra (FMA13501). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §7.1 Divisions of the Skeletal System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.