Inferior Costal Facet Of The Thoracic Vertebra, Superior View

Description

Thoracic vertebral body anatomy is centered here on the inferior costal facet (inferior demifacet), a shallow, oval articular area positioned on the posterolateral margin of the vertebral body near the pedicle. From this superior perspective, the facet sits inferior to the superior vertebral endplate and lateral to the posterior wall of the vertebral body, oriented toward the costovertebral joint line where the rib head will meet the spine. The pedicles flank the vertebral foramen posteriorly, while the costal facet remains on the body rather than the transverse process. Small surface changes matter. Inferior costal facets are clinically relevant because they form half of the head-of-rib articulation, pairing with the superior costal facet of the vertebra below to receive the rib head and its intra-articular crest, a relationship that helps explain segmental thoracic pain patterns in costovertebral osteoarthritis and in inflammatory spondyloarthropathies. This fixed superior viewpoint makes the boundary between the vertebral endplate, the lateral body contour, and the demifacet easier to teach than in oblique diagrams, where the facet can be confused with the transverse costal facet or the superior articular process. Rib head fractures, degenerative joint change, and thoracic spine rotation in scoliosis all alter loading across this small contact surface. Anatomy faculty can drop this illustration into thoracic cage lectures to distinguish demifacets from transverse costal facets and to reinforce why typical ribs articulate with two adjacent vertebral bodies. It also fits well in surgical education and radiology correlation modules when discussing costovertebral joint injections, thoracic paravertebral blocks, or CT/MRI assessment of facet and endplate-adjacent pathology. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.