Which BL point lies at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra (T5)?

• A. BL 45
• B. BL 44
• C. BL 43
• D. BL 42

Answer: (B)

The place of BL-44 is tied to the thoracic vertebral level it sits at along the bladder channel on the back. BL-44 is located at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra, so to find it you identify T5 by palpating down the spine from recognizable landmarks and then go to the back point at that level. This is why this point corresponds to T5, whereas the nearby points would align with levels above or below. In practice, you locate the spinous process of T5, and the BL-44 point is at that level along the channel on the back.