The thoracic spine is the central part of the spine, also called the dorsal spine, which runs from the base of the neck to the bottom of your rib cage. The thoracic spine provides the flexibility that holds the body upright and protects the organs of the chest.
The spine is made up of 24 spinal bones, called vertebrae, of which, the thoracic region of the spine is made up of 12 vertebrae (T1-T12). The vertebrae are aligned on top of one another to form the spinal cord, which gives your body its posture. The different parts of the thoracic spine include bone and joints, nerves, connective tissues, muscles, and spinal segment.
Thoracic Discectomy
The goal of surgery is to remove all or part of the herniated disc pressing on the nerve root or spinal cord and is called thoracic discectomy. It can be performed either through the anterior approach (front side) or posterolateral approach (behind and to the side).
Thoracic Laminectomy
The vertebral column supports the back and protects the spinal cord that runs through it. The nerves that branch out from the spinal cord are also protected and pass through special passages created by each vertebral bone. However, degeneration or herniation (bulging out) of the intervertebral disc that cushions each vertebral bone, injury, bony outgrowths due to arthritis or tumors can compress the spinal cord and nerves, causing debilitating back pain and disability. Nerve compression at the thoracic section of the vertebral column or the chest region can be treated by a surgical technique called a thoracic laminectomy.
Thoracic Spine Fusion
Thoracic spine fusion is a surgical procedure in which two or more bones (vertebrae) of the thoracic spine are joined together so as to eliminate the movement between them. The thoracic spine is the center part of the spine and is formed of 12 vertebrae. Thoracic spine fusion is done by placing bone grafts or bone graft substitutes in between the affected vertebrae. This promotes bone growth and eventually fuses the vertebrae into a single, solid bone.
