Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX USA) Practice

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Prepare for the COMLEX-USA with quizzes featuring flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Gear up for your osteopathic medicine exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

For T7-T9, the spinous process is level with what?

The spinous process of the segment above
The transverse process of the same segment
The transverse process of the segment below
The lateral articular process of the segment below

The correct answer is: The transverse process of the segment below

The spinous process of thoracic vertebrae T7 to T9 is located at the level of the transverse processes of the vertebrae below it, specifically T8 to T10. This phenomenon is due to the anatomy of the thoracic spine, where the spinous processes are more elongated and slope downward compared to the cervical vertebrae. As you move down the thoracic spine, this anatomical arrangement results in the spinous process of a given vertebra being positioned lower in relation to the transverse processes of the vertebra directly beneath it. Thus, for T7-T9, their spinous processes align with the transverse processes of T8-T10, respectively. This knowledge is critical for understanding the relationships in spinal anatomy, especially when considering procedures such as spinal taps or understanding the mechanics of spinal movements.