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T2 (2nd Thoracic Vertebra)

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2015

The T2 vertebra is the second of the twelve (12) thoracic vertebrae making up the middle section of the spinal column and the uppermost of the nine similar T2-T9 vertebrae. It is connected to a pair of ribs, one on either side of the rib cage, through articular facets on the transverse processes. Costal demi-facets at top and bottom of the centrum provide additional space for articulation with themycontentbreak ribs. Flat surfaces on top and bottom of the centrum or ventral body of the spinal bone make a joint with the T1 vertebra above and the T3 below it, articulating across intervertebral discs that cushion and support the spinal column. In the T2, this centrum is shaped more like a heart than the cylindrical ventral bodies of the cervical spine. The vertebral arch protects the spinal cord with an increasingly circular vertebral foramen, which gets smaller as the vertebrae themselves get larger from the T1 down to the T12 vertebra.