ADA-120 vs a Full Vertebral Column: Buy the Segment, Not the Spine

Short answer: ADA-120 is a thoracic segment — the twelve thoracic vertebrae with their intervertebral discs, thoracic nerves and spinal cord, mounted on a stand. It is not a full vertebral column. If your teaching objective is thoracic-level anatomy, regional anaesthesia landmarks or thoracic imaging correlation, the segment is the better buy; if you need to show sagittal balance from cervical to sacrum, it is the wrong SKU. The page publishes no price.

Key takeaways

• T1–T12 only. Twelve vertebrae, discs, thoracic nerves and cord — no cervical or lumbar segment.
• The cord is included, which is what separates it from a bare bone column.
• On a stand, so it can be demonstrated upright rather than held.
• Choose by question, not by size: a segment answers depth questions; a full column answers alignment questions.
• Regional work is where thoracic anatomy pays off, and simulation trainers for thoracic blocks are being built and studied now [1][2][3].

The model at a glance

Item	Published detail
Model	ADA-120
Product name on page	Thoracic Spinal Column — T1-T12 Spine & Spinal Cord Teaching Model
Category path	Anatomical Series → Other
Segments	12 thoracic vertebrae with intervertebral discs
Neural structures	Thoracic nerves and spinal cord
Mounting	On stand
Price	Not published — quotation required

Segment versus full column: a decision table

Question you need to answer in class	ADA-120 (T1–T12)	Full vertebral column	Didactic painted column
Where does the cord end and what is around it at T12?	Yes — cord is included	Yes	Usually bone only
How do thoracic pedicles differ level by level?	Yes, at 12 levels	Yes, but small at bench scale	No
How does thoracic curvature relate to cervical and lumbar?	No — segment only	Yes	Yes
Can it sit on a procedure table for landmarking?	Yes — stand-mounted and compact	Awkward; long and unstable	Possible but bulky
Muscle and ligament colour coding	Not claimed	Not claimed	Yes — that is the point of the didactic versions
Storage footprint	Small	Large	Large

Why the thoracic segment is the right unit for procedure teaching

Thoracic work is where landmark errors are least forgiving. A 2026 morphometric study in Cureus analysed pedicle dimensions of typical thoracic vertebrae for transpedicular procedures — the kind of measurement that only makes sense level by level, which is exactly what a 12-level segment lets you show [1]. A second 2026 paper described a low-cost homemade simulation trainer for the erector spinae plane block, a thoracic fascial-plane technique that depends on counting levels and estimating depth [2]. A third, in Pain Practice, examined the clinical implications of preoperative thoracic spine MRI — a reminder that imaging decisions are made against a mental model of the segment [3].

Put differently: a full column teaches the shape of the spine; a thoracic segment teaches the depth of it. If your learners will place needles, depth is the skill.

What to check before you order

Not published / needs confirming	Why it changes the decision
Price at your quantity	Quotation item; no published band.
Overall length and weight	Decides whether it fits an existing skills cart.
Whether the cord is removable	Removable cord supports a wider range of drills.
Material and finish	Repeated landmarking wears a soft surface.
Numbered or colour-coded levels	Level identification is the core skill; labelling helps beginners and can be taped over for assessment.

Ask chinoncpr@adaanatomy.com for those five answers with model ADA-120 and your course type — anatomy, anaesthesia or imaging — so the reply matches the use.

FAQ

Q1. What is ADA-120?
A thoracic spinal column model: the twelve thoracic vertebrae with intervertebral discs, thoracic nerves and spinal cord, on a stand.

Q2. Does it include cervical and lumbar vertebrae?
No. It is a thoracic segment only. For a full column, a different model is required.

Q3. Is the spinal cord shown?
Yes, the page states thoracic nerves and spinal cord are included.

Q4. Can it be used for regional anaesthesia teaching?
It supports landmark and level identification. It is an anatomy model, not a tissue simulator, so needle-feel practice needs a separate trainer.

Q5. Is a price published?
No. ADA-120 is a quotation item.

Q6. How do I order?
Email chinoncpr@adaanatomy.com with model ADA-120, quantity and delivery city.

Request a quotation

Write to chinoncpr@adaanatomy.com for the ADA-120 specification, dimensions and a quotation. If you teach the whole spine rather than the thorax, say so in the first line — we will point you to the full-column and didactic versions instead of selling you a segment you will outgrow.

→ Product page: ADA-120 Thoracic Spinal Column T1-T12 — full specification, packing data and a quotation request form.

References

1. Morphometric Analysis of Pedicles of Typical Thoracic Vertebrae for Transpedicular Procedures. Cureus. 2026.
2. Low-Cost Homemade Simulation Trainer for the Erector Spinae Plane Block. Cureus. 2026.
3. Clinical Implications of Preoperative Thoracic Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Pain Practice. 2026.