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Seventh thoracic vertebra: anatomy, location and function

The seventh of the twelve thoracic vertebrae, labelled T7, 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: Seventh 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.

Seventh thoracic vertebra at a glance

Also called
T7
What it is
The seventh of the twelve thoracic vertebrae, labelled T7, which articulate with ribs.
Location
Lies in the middle thoracic spine between T6 and T8.
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
FMA9968 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • The inferior angle of the scapula lies at about the level of T7 when the arm is by the side.
  • It is a typical thoracic vertebra; its spinous process is among the longest and most steeply angled in the column.

Structures next to the seventh thoracic vertebra

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

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Seventh thoracic vertebra (FMA9968). 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.