This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages without signing in

Palpation of the thoracic spine

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Tenderness is elicited by percussion of the spinous processes of the thoracic spine, with the patient leaning forward.

Midline tenderness at the thoracolumbar border is commonly caused by collapse of the T12 or L1 vertebrae:

  • in the elderly this is usually caused by minimal trauma to an osteoporotic vertebra
  • in a young patient more force is required e.g. a fall from scaffolding

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.