thoracic vertebra
2
6.1
- noun
- /θəˈræsɪk ˈvɜrtɪbrə/
- Specialized
:
vértebra torácica
- The ages of subjects ranged from 19 to 38 years, their injury levels from T-5 (the fifth thoracic vertebra) to L-2 (the second lumbar vertebra).
- the seventh thoracic vertebra
Examples
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In 1983, Estrera et al. suggested that thoracotomy should be performed only when the infectious process has extended below the carina anteriorly and beyond the fourth thoracic vertebra posteriorly.
Academic text (2004) -
The thoracic vertebrae in his back is broken.
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Yes, there are slight lesions of the thoracic vertebrae.
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Stellate exit wound level with the second or the third thoracic vertebrae approximately six inches from the right shoulder blade.
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Compressed thoracic vertebrae.
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In the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, the hole through which the spinal cord runs is significantly smaller than modern man, indicating a smaller demand for nerve signal traffic.
Blog text (32) -
Then, almost matter-of-factly, he tells me that he tore his spinal cord apart at the level of the seventh thoracic vertebra (T7).
Fiction book (1998) -
More specifically, in blunt trauma, the heart can be compressed in the bony thorax as it is well encompassed between the ribs, the sternum, and the thoracic vertebrae.
Academic text (2016) -
The doctor explained that the thoracic vertebra is where the ribs attach in the spine.
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He injured his thoracic vertebra, which is crucial for supporting the rib cage.
Synonyms
A bone in the middle of the spine between the chest and lower back
How Big
- Specialized
71
4.4
- Specialized
4
8.4
- Specialized
1
6.1
- Specialized
2
6.1
- Specialized
5
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built: 'thoracic' (related to the chest) modifies 'vertebra' (a spinal bone), so the meaning 'a vertebra in the chest/thoracic region' follows directly from the constituents. This anatomical compounding is a productive and cross-linguistically common pattern, so a learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Thoracic vertebra comes from thoracic, meaning 'chest', and vertebra, a small spine bone; these are the middle bones of the spine where the 'ribs' attach, so a thoracic vertebra is one of the middle backbone bones that connects to the ribs.