Anatom3DTwelfth thoracic vertebra
Vertebra thoracica XII · Dvanáctý hrudní obratel
Skeleton
Looks like
The lowest chest vertebra (T12), a transition bone: rib-like above, lumbar-like below, carrying the twelfth ribs.
What it does
Passes load from the stiff chest spine to the mobile lower back.
Keeping it well
The most common site of spinal fractures after falls and in osteoporosis. New back pain after a fall in older age needs an X-ray.