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Ninth thoracic vertebra: anatomy, location and function

The ninth of the twelve thoracic vertebrae, labelled T9, which articulate with ribs. Supports the trunk, forms the posterior part of the rib cage by articulating with ribs, and protects the spinal cord.

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Highlighted in the model: Ninth 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.

Ninth thoracic vertebra at a glance

Also called
T9
What it is
The ninth of the twelve thoracic vertebrae, labelled T9, which articulate with ribs.
Location
Lies in the lower thoracic spine between T8 and T10.
Function
Supports the trunk, forms the posterior part of the rib cage by articulating with ribs, and protects the spinal cord.
Body system
Skeletal · single, midline structure
FMA ID
FMA10014 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Often has only a superior costal demifacet; its inferior demifacet may be absent.
  • The xiphisternal joint lies at about the level of T9.

Structures next to the ninth thoracic vertebra

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

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Ninth thoracic vertebra (FMA10014). 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.