The Thoracic Vertebrae's Superior Costal Facet In Lateral View

Description

Rotating through a lateral perspective, the animation isolates a typical thoracic vertebra and then settles on the superior costal facet (fovea costalis superior) on the posterolateral margin of the vertebral body (corpus vertebrae). The indentation sits superior to the inferior costal facet and anterior to the vertebral arch, while the pedicle bridges posteriorly toward the lamina and spinous process. As the camera advances, the facet’s smooth articular surface reads distinctly against adjacent cortical bone, clarifying its half-demarked, demi-facet geometry. Orientation of the superior costal facet matters because it forms the vertebral component of the costovertebral joint with the head of the rib, typically sharing the articulation with the inferior costal facet of the vertebra above. That relationship underpins common teaching points in thoracic biomechanics and rib pain patterns, and it becomes clinically concrete in conditions such as costovertebral osteoarthritis, inflammatory spondyloarthropathy, and rib head fractures that can irritate the sympathetic chain near the vertebral bodies. Motion helps here: a static lateral plate often obscures how the facet sits at the junction of vertebral body and pedicle, while the animated sweep separates the articular rim from the surrounding body contour and makes the joint surface easier to identify. Use this sequence in thoracic spine anatomy labs, radiographic anatomy modules that correlate lateral CT or oblique radiographs with bony landmarks, and in textbook or eLearning chapters on rib articulation and thoracic back pain referral. It also fits surgical education when discussing thoracic approaches that work near the costovertebral junction and vertebral body. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.