| Thoracic spinal nerve | |
|---|---|
 The spinal cord with spinal nerves. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervi spinalis |
| FMA | 6299 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The thoracic spinal nerve 7 (T7) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment. [1]
It originates from the spinal column from below the thoracic vertebra 7 (T7).
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is one of two components that make up the nervous system of bilateral animals, with the other part being the central nervous system (CNS). The PNS consists of nerves and ganglia, which lie outside the brain and the spinal cord. The main function of the PNS is to connect the CNS to the limbs and organs, essentially serving as a relay between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. Unlike the CNS, the PNS is not protected by the vertebral column and skull, or by the blood–brain barrier, which leaves it exposed to toxins.
A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In the human body there are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, one on each side of the vertebral column. These are grouped into the corresponding cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal regions of the spine. There are eight pairs of cervical nerves, twelve pairs of thoracic nerves, five pairs of lumbar nerves, five pairs of sacral nerves, and one pair of coccygeal nerves. The spinal nerves are part of the peripheral nervous system.
In vertebrates, thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. In humans, there are twelve thoracic vertebrae and they are intermediate in size between the cervical and lumbar vertebrae; they increase in size going towards the lumbar vertebrae, with the lower ones being much larger than the upper. They are distinguished by the presence of facets on the sides of the bodies for articulation with the heads of the ribs, as well as facets on the transverse processes of all, except the eleventh and twelfth, for articulation with the tubercles of the ribs. By convention, the human thoracic vertebrae are numbered T1–T12, with the first one (T1) located closest to the skull and the others going down the spine toward the lumbar region.
A dermatome is an area of skin that is mainly supplied by afferent nerve fibres from the dorsal root of any given spinal nerve. There are 8 cervical nerves , 12 thoracic nerves, 5 lumbar nerves and 5 sacral nerves. Each of these nerves relays sensation from a particular region of skin to the brain.
T7 or T-7 may refer to:
Each spinal nerve receives a branch called a gray ramus communicans from the adjacent paravertebral ganglion of the sympathetic trunk. The gray rami communicantes contain postganglionic nerve fibers of the sympathetic nervous system and are composed of largely unmyelinated neurons. This is in contrast to the white rami communicantes, in which heavily myelinated neurons give the rami their white appearance.
The sympathetic ganglia, or paravertebral ganglia, are autonomic ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system. Ganglia are 20,000 to 30,000 afferent and efferent nerve cell bodies that run along on either side of the spinal cord. Afferent nerve cell bodies bring information from the body to the brain and spinal cord, while efferent nerve cell bodies bring information from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. The cell bodies create long sympathetic chains that are on either side of the spinal cord. They also form para- or pre-vertebral ganglia of gross anatomy.
The posterior thoracic nucleus, is a group of interneurons found in the medial part of lamina VII, also known as the intermediate zone, of the spinal cord. It is mainly located from the cervical vertebra C7 to lumbar L3–L4 levels and is an important structure for proprioception of the lower limb.
The ventral ramus is the anterior division of a spinal nerve. The ventral rami supply the antero-lateral parts of the trunk and the limbs. They are mainly larger than the dorsal rami.
The thoracic spinal nerve 1 (T1) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 3 (T3) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 4 (T4) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 5 (T5) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 6 (T6) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 8 (T8) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 9 (T9) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 10 (T10) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 11 (T11) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
The thoracic spinal nerve 12 (T12) is a spinal nerve of the thoracic segment.
A shoulder examination is a portion of a physical examination used to identify potential pathology involving the shoulder. It should be conducted with both shoulders exposed to assess for asymmetry and muscle wasting.
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