torácica

Torácica is the feminine form of the adjective torácico in Spanish and Portuguese, used to describe anything relating to the thorax, or chest. In medical terminology, it designates structures, regions, and procedures associated with the thoracic cavity.

The thorax is the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen. Its bony and muscular frame, the thoracic cage, consists of the sternum, the ribs and costal cartilage, the thoracic vertebrae, and the intercostal muscles, all supported by the diaphragm at its lower boundary. The rib cage protects the heart and lungs and plays a key role in respiration.

Within the thoracic cavity lie the lungs, the heart and great vessels, the mediastinum, and the pleural spaces. The thorax also provides attachments for muscles involved in breathing, posture, and upper limb movement.

Usage notes: in Portuguese and Spanish, torácica appears in terms such as dor torácica (chest pain), cirurgia torácica (thoracic surgery), parede torácica (thoracic wall), and coluna torácica (thoracic spine). The English equivalent is thoracic.

Etymology: derived from Latin thorac-, from Greek thorax.