
At T12, the ventral ramus becomes a subcostal nerve that travels beneath the twelfth rib. At T1 through T12, the dorsal ramus goes into the back muscles and also provides sensation to the skin. The motor and sensory functions provided by a thoracic nerve root are determined by its vertebral level.
What is T12 vertebrae?
T12 (12th Thoracic Vertebra) The twelfth thoracic vertebra (or the T12 vertebra) is the largest and most inferior of the thoracic vertebrae.
What does T12 stand for?
Medically reviewed by Healthline's Medical Network on March 2, 2015. The T12 vertebra is the twelfth thoracic vertebra in the spine of the human body. It is part of the spinal column, which supports the top of the human body.
What is T9 T12 spinal cord injury?
T9 - T12 Spinal Cord Injuries. The lower sections of the thoracic spine are known as transition vertebrae because of their proximity and similarity to the lumbar vertebrae. The T9, T10, T11, and T12 vertebrae form the base of the thoracic spine.
What is the function of the thoracic nerve?
Thoracic Nerve Functions. Each thoracic nerve root exits the spinal canal through a bony hole, called an intervertebral foramen. This bony hole is formed by two adjacent vertebrae, and its size and shape can slightly shift as the vertebrae move.

What does your T12 control?
The region of your spinal cord protected by this vertebra controls your abdominal muscles, lower back, stability and support. Unfortunately, pain from a T12 injury can be tricky to diagnose as it can radiate to other areas of your body and not be centered where the injury actually is.
What nerves affect T12?
At T12, the ventral ramus becomes a subcostal nerve that travels beneath the twelfth rib. At T1 through T12, the dorsal ramus goes into the back muscles and also provides sensation to the skin. The motor and sensory functions provided by a thoracic nerve root are determined by its vertebral level.
What part of the body does T12 affect?
The T12 nerve roots innervate the very lower abdominal muscles. Therefore, individuals with T12 SCIs will focus on rehabilitation for the lower half of their body. Your spinal cord relays messages between your brain and body.
What nerves are affected by T12 and L1?
T12-L1 Pinched Nerve: The T12 spinal nerves are responsible for the abdominal muscles and the skin over the buttocks. A pinched nerve at this level may cause pain into the buttocks or over the abdomen. Localized symptoms of pinched nerve in the thoracic spine may include pain or stiffness of the midback.
How serious is a T12 injury?
This is the most severe type of spinal fracture because it can result in compressing the nerves, leading to neurological complications.
What nerve is T12 located?
thoracic spinal nerve 12The thoracic spinal nerve 12 (T12) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment. The spinal cord with spinal nerves. It originates from the spinal column from below the thoracic vertebra 12 (T12). It may also be known as the subcostal nerve.
What does thoracic nerve pain feel like?
Individuals with a thoracic pinched nerve often experience some of the following symptoms: Pain in the middle of the back. Pain that radiates to the front of the chest or shoulder. Numbness or tingling that extends from the back into the upper chest.
What part of the spine can paralyze you?
The first thoracic vertebra, T-1, is the vertebra where the top rib attaches. Spinal cord injuries in the thoracic region usually affect the chest and the legs, resulting in paraplegia.
Can a T12 fracture cause paralysis?
Thoracic spinal cord injury T1-T12 Thoracic injuries can cause paralysis or weakness of the legs (paraplegia) along with loss of physical sensation, bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. In most cases, arms and hands are not affected.
How do you sleep with a T12 fracture?
Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. This will decrease pressure on your back. You may also sleep on your side with 1 or both of your knees bent and a pillow between them. It may also be helpful to sleep on your stomach with a pillow under you at waist level.
What organs are affected by thoracic spine?
The nerves that branch off from your spinal cord in your thoracic spine transmit signals between your brain and major organs, including your:Lungs.Heart.Liver.Small intestine.
What does the L1 nerve control?
L1 spinal nerve provides sensation to your groin and genital area and helps move your hip muscles. L2, L3 and L4 spinal nerves provide sensation to the front part of your thigh and inner side of your lower leg. These nerves also control hip and knee muscle movements.
What does a pinched thoracic nerve feel like?
Individuals with a thoracic pinched nerve often experience some of the following symptoms: Pain in the middle of the back. Pain that radiates to the front of the chest or shoulder. Numbness or tingling that extends from the back into the upper chest.
What does T10 nerve control?
What is the T10 Vertebra? Also called the tenth thoracic vertebra, T10 is one of the twelve vertebrae of the thoracic spinal column. The nerves that control the muscles of the lower abdomen originate through here.
What is a T12 vertebral body hemangioma?
Spinal hemangiomas are benign tumors that are most commonly seen in the mid-back (thoracic) and lower back (lumbar). Hemangiomas most often appear in adults between the ages of 30 and 50. They are very common and occur in approximately 10 percent of the world's population. Most cases show no symptoms.
Is T12 L1 considered thoracic or lumbar?
Currently, T12-L1 is considered a thoracic level for both transforaminal and facet injections. For transforaminal approach at T12-L1, this is considered thru the T12 foramen where the T12 spinal nerve exits. For facet joint blocks, the T12-L1 facet joint receives innervation from the T11 and T12 medial branches.
What nerve travels between the ribs?
At the T1 through T11 levels, the ventral ramus eventually becomes an intercostal nerve that travels along the same path as the ribs (specifically between the innermost and internal intercostal muscles that connect adjacent ribs). At T12, the ventral ramus becomes a subcostal nerve that travels beneath the twelfth rib.
What nerves feed into the ventral ramus?
After branching from the spinal cord and traveling through the foramen, a thoracic nerve root branches into two different nerve bundles that feed into the nerves at the front (ventral ramus) and back (dorsal ramus) of the body. At the T1 through T11 levels, the ventral ramus eventually becomes an intercostal nerve that travels along ...
How many thoracic nerves are there?
Each thoracic spinal nerve is named for the vertebra above it. For example, the T3 nerve root runs between the T3 vertebra and T4 vertebra. There are 12 thoracic spinal nerve root pairs (two at each thoracic vertebral level), starting at vertebral level T1-T2 and going down to T12-L1.
How many nerve roots are there in the thoracic spine?
Thoracic Spinal Nerves. The thoracic spine has 12 nerve roots (T1 to T12) on each side of the spine that branch from the spinal cord and control motor and sensory signals mostly for the upper back, chest, and abdomen. The thoracic spine (highlighted) spans the upper and mid-back. It includes twelve vertebrae named T1 through T12.
How are motor and sensory functions determined?
The motor and sensory functions provided by a thoracic nerve root are determined by its vertebral level. While these functions can slightly vary from person to person, they typically are as follows:
What do T3 and T4 feed into?
T3, T4, and T5 feed into the chest wall and aid in breathing. T6, T7, and T8 can feed into the chest and/or down into the abdomen. T9, T10, T11, and T12 can feed into the abdomen and/or lower in the back. 1.
Can a strain of the intercostal nerve cause pain?
See Radiculopathy, Radiculitis and Radicular Pain. It should also be noted that a severe strain of a muscle between ribs (intercostal muscle) may cause an intercostal nerve to become inflamed, painful, and possibly make breathing more difficult. See Upper Back Pain from Intercostal Muscle Strain. advertisement.
Where is the T12 located?
The T12 vertebra is located in the spinal column of the thoracic (or trunk) region inferior to the T11 vertebra and superior to the first lumbar (L1) vertebra. Continue Scrolling To Read More Below...
What are the joints in the T11 and T12?
The joints formed between T11 and T12 are classified as planar joints , and allow the bones to glide along a plane relative to one another. At the bottom of T12, a pair of inferior articular processes descends to meet the superior articular processes of the L1 vertebra.
What are the two pairs of articular processes that extend vertically from the vertebral arch?
Extending vertically from the vertebral arch are two pairs of articular processes that form joints with the neighboring vertebra and help to stabilize the spine. The superior articular processes extend superiorly to meet the inferior articular processes of the T11 vertebra.
Which process is a thin rectangle of bone that provides muscle attachment points for the muscles that stabilize, flex, extend?
The thin laminae continue the vertebral arch posteriorly from the transverse processes until they unite at the body’s midline to form the spinous process. The spinous process extends posteriorly toward the surface of the back and can be felt through the skin. It is a thin rectangle of bone that provides muscle attachment points for the muscles that stabilize, flex, extend, and rotate the spine. The spinous process is considerably shorter, straighter, and thicker in T12 than it is in the superior thoracic vertebrae, closely resembling the spinous process of the lumbar vertebrae below.
Which thoracic vertebra is the strongest?
The twelfth thoracic vertebra (or the T12 vertebra) is the largest and most inferior of the thoracic vertebrae. T12 bears the most weight of any thoracic vertebra, making it the strongest thoracic vertebra, but also the most susceptible to stress-related injuries. In many ways, the T12 is a hybrid vertebra with the anatomical features ...
Which process permits the slight extension and rotation of the spine?
Both the superior and inferior articular processes permit the slight flexion, extension and rotation of the spine, while preventing eccentric and potentially damaging movement of the vertebrae relative to each other.
Is T12 a vertebral body?
The vertebral body is larger and wider in T12 than in the other thoracic vertebrae and more closely resembles the vertebral bodies of the lumbar vertebrae. It is flat on top and bottom, convex anteriorly, and slightly concave posteriorly. Most of the osseous tissue of T12 is contained within the centrum, which serves to support the body’s weight.
Why are T9 and T12 considered transitional vertebrae?
Sections T9 - T12 are known as transitional vertebrae because of their proximity and similarity to the lumbar vertebrae. The spinal cord and nerves’ correlation to these levels, along with the rest of the thoracic spine, aid in controlling the trunk of the body. The completeness of the spinal cord damage will determine how severe an injury truly is ...
Which is larger, T12 or T9?
Therefore, the T12 segment is larger than the previous T9 - T11 vertebrae. Additionally, each vertebrae protects spinal nerves that correspond to different areas. For instance, T9 contains nerves that connect to the kidney area while T12 has nerves that affect the buttocks and lower abdomen muscles.
What is the T9 Vertebra?
The ninth thoracic vertebra is also known as T9. It is a segment of the thoracic level of the spinal column and is the first of the four transition vertebrae. The T9 vertebra directly communicates to the adrenal glands through nerves.
Where is the T10 Vertebra Located?
The T10 vertebrae location can be found between the T9 and T11 vertebrae within the torso.
Why do thoracic vertebrae fracture?
Thoracic Vertebrae Fractures. Thoracic vertebrae fractures are usually due to accidents with hard falls and physical trauma, or conditions such as osteoporosis. This injury occurs when the vertebrae spine collapses in its weakened state due to pressure.
What is the eleventh thoracic vertebra?
The eleventh thoracic vertebra (T11) is one of the last thoracic spinal vertebrae. It’s the first of the transitional vertebra that is not attached to a true rib, meaning a rib bone that connects to the chest’s sternum.
What are the symptoms of a T11 injury?
A T11 injury will demonstrate itself by severe back and leg pain. If the nerves in the T11 vertebrae are damaged, common symptoms include weakness and numbness in these areas.
