The thoracic vertebrae are 12 small circular bones that have a hollow center that makes them look a bit like donuts. The vertebrae are bones; The thoracic ones form the midsection of the spine, also called the vertebral column or vertebral column. These 12 bones are stacked on top of each other. The thoracic vertebrae are attached to 12 pairs of ribs that wrap around the front of the body, where 10 of the 12 pairs also attach to the breastbone or breastbone. Protection of vital organs such as the heart and lungs is achieved by joining the ribs to the sternum and the thoracic vertebrae to form the thoracic cavity.
Two pairs of the 12 ribs that make up the thoracic cavity are not attached to the sternum; therefore, they are often described as "floating" ribs. The rib cage is the common term used to refer to this cavity of which the thoracic vertebrae are part. Structure, support, and movement of the entire body are provided by the spine, which is made up of a total of 33 vertebrae that form a chain in the middle of the back. Such a design allows for some flexibility. A person can lean and tilt his torso to the side and forward or backward because the spine is flexible.
There are five sections or divisions in the spinal column, beginning at the base of the skull and extending to the coccyx or coccyx. Seven vertebrae make up the first division, which is known as the cervical spine or neck bone. These sit at the top of the second division, which is the thoracic spine. After the thoracic spine is the lumbar spine, which is made up of five vertebrae. Then there is the sacral spine consisting of five vertebrae, and finally the coccyx, made up of four vertebrae that add up to 33 small bones.
Any damage to the spine is potentially very serious because the vertebrae collectively form the shell of the spinal cord, an extension of the central nervous system. The brain sends and receives vital information through the spinal cord. Movement, sensation, and vital life functions, such as breathing, affect the spinal cord. If it is even slightly damaged, particularly the cervical division, paralysis or death could result because breathing and heartbeat could be affected.
Although the spinal divisions that are most easily damaged are the cervical and lumbar spine, the thoracic vertebrae can be seriously injured in motor vehicle side-impact collisions. The entire spinal column can be violently displaced to one side of the body, which can lead to injuries that could affect the spinal cord. Injury to the thoracic vertebrae could compromise the protection that the thoracic cavity offers for organs such as the heart, lungs, and major arteries and veins.