Second thoracic vertebra: Location, Function & 3D Anatomy

Highlighted in the model: Second 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.

Second thoracic vertebra at a glance

Also called: T2
What it is: The second of the twelve thoracic vertebrae, labelled T2, which articulate with ribs.
Location: Lies in the upper thoracic spine between T1 and T3.
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: FMA9187 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

Has a superior costal demifacet shared with T1 for the head of rib 2 and an inferior demifacet shared with T3 for the head of rib 3.
Typical thoracic features begin here: a heart-shaped body, a small round vertebral foramen and a long, downward-sloping spinous process.

Structures next to the second thoracic vertebra

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

First thoracic vertebra · skeletal
Semispinalis cervicis · muscular
Splenius cervicis · muscular
Third thoracic vertebra · skeletal
Intervertebral disk of second thoracic vertebra · skeletal
Intervertebral disk of first thoracic vertebra · skeletal
Longissimus cervicis · muscular
Superior intercostal vein · cardiovascular
Inferior oblique part of longus colli · muscular
Seventh cervical vertebra · skeletal

References

Related anatomy

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