The transverse processes (la. processus transversus) of a vertebra, two in number, project one at either side from the point where the lamina joins the pedicle, between the superior and inferior articular processes. They serve for the attachment of muscles and ligaments.
The transverse processes of the dorsal vertebrae typically articulate with the head and tubercle of the respective rib.
The transverse process of a lumbar vertebra is also called costal or costiform process (processus costiforme or processus costalis in latin) by some anatomists, because it corresponds to a rudimentary rib (costa) which, as opposed to the thorax, is not developed in the lumbar region.
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“Our bodies are shaped to bear children, and our lives are a working out of the processes of creation. All our ambitions and intelligence are beside that great elemental point.”
—Phyllis McGinley (1905–1978)