Thoracic vertebrae of different species of animals.Mainly described veterinary anatomy of thoracic vertebrae.

1. An assignment on
Thoracic Vertebrae
Course Title : Gross Anatomy I
Course Code: ANH-101
Submitted To:
Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Shah Alam
&
Assistant Professor Dr Nure Jannat
Department of Anatomy and Histology
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Animal Science
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural
University
Submitted By:
Name: Md RaufurRahman Akanda
Reg:19-05-5128
Level: 1
Group : A
Term :Summer ‘19

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78 1 Axial skeleton (skeleton axiale)
Mamilloarticularprocess
Cranial vertebral notch
Cranial costal fovea
Cranial extremity
Ventralcrest
Spinous process
Caudal articular process
Accessory process
Caudal vertebral notch
Caudal extremity
Fig. 1-82.13th thoracic vertebra of a dog (lateral aspect).
Mamilloarticularprocess
Transverse process
Vertebral foramen
Cranial costal fovea
Ventralcrest
Spinous process
Caudal articular process
Accessory process
Caudal vertebral notch
Caudal extremity
Fig. 1-83.13th thoracic vertebra of a dog (caudal aspect).
Mamilloarticularprocess
Transverseprocess
Costal fovea of thetransverse process
Cranial costal fovea
Cranial extremity
Ventralcrest
Fig. 1-84.13th thoracic vertebra of a pig (lateral aspect).
Mamilloarticularprocess
Transverseprocess
Cranial costal fovea
Cranial extremity
Ventralcrest
Fig. 1-85.13th thoracic vertebra of an ox (lateral aspect).
Spinous process
Caudal articular process
Lateralvertebral foramen
Caudal vertebral notch
Lateralvertebral foramenwith
dorsal and ventral exit
Caudal costal fovea
Spinous process
Caudal articular process
Caudal vertebral notch
(bridged by a bony structure)

3. Thoracic vertebrae (vertebrae thoracicae)
The thoracic spine is composed of a chain of thoracicvertebrae. They form, partly overlapping
,a slightly dorsoconvex bony rod, which is characterized by its limited flexibility Adapted to
their function the thoracicvertebrae are equipped with special anatomical features : the long
spinous processes for the attachment of the strong head and neck musculature in pigs and
herbivores. The cranial thoracic vertebrae fulfil an additional function as part of the entire
vertebral column by transmitting the body weight tothe thoracic limbs and, together with
the ribs to provide attachment to the muscles of the ribs, thorax and shoulder.
The thoracic vertebrae articulate with the ribs and correspond with these in number. Minor
numeric variations are common among different species and breeds and are often
compensated for by reciprocal changes in the number of the lumbar vertebrae. All thoracic
vertebrae share the following common features:
# Short bodies with flattened extremities (extremitates)
# Short articularprocess (processus articulares)
# Closely fitting vertebral arches (arcus vertebrae )
# Very long spinous processes (processus spinosi)
# Costal facets on both extremities for the rib heads (fovea costales) and on the transverse
processes for the rib tubercles.
The vertebral bodies are short in the cranial thoracicregion, but gradually increase in length
further caudal , where a ventral crest is also present The articular processes of the cranial
thoracic vertebrae are represented by oval facets The cranial facets (fovea articulares
craniales) are situated craniodorsal on the base of the spinous process and are oriented
tangentially to the vertebralarch .The caudal facets (fovea articulares caudales) are on the
caudal aspect of the base of the spinous process, but orientate sagitally towards the arch.
While the cranial vertebral notch (incursa vertebrales craniales) is shallow ,the caudal notch
is much deeper. The intervertebral foramen is comparatively large to allowpassage of the
spinal nerves and vessels. It is often divided into two by a bony bridge in ruminants.
The spinous processes are very prominent and extend from the dorsal surface of the vertebral
arch. In carnivores, the spinous processes gradually decrease in length throughout the whole
thoracic region, in pig and ruminants they increase in height in the first three vertebrae,
become progressively shorter up to 11th vertebra in the pig and 12th or 13th in ruminants and
stay at the same length for the remainder of the thoracic spine. In the horse , the spinous
processes of the first four thoracic vertebrae increase in height and become shorterup to the
13th or 14th vertebra. The high spinous processes of the first three or four thoracic vertebrae
constitute the osseous base for the withers The thoracic .v whose spinous process are nearly
perpendicular to the long axis of that bone is termed the diaphragmatic oranticlinal vertebra:
it is the 10th thoracic vertebra in the dog ,the 12th in the pig and goat, the 13th in the ox.