COMLEX Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Practice Exam

In Chapman point mapping, posterior visceral points align with the transverse processes of the thoracic vertebrae that share the organ’s sympathetic innervation. The thyroid gland corresponds to the second thoracic segment, so its posterior Chapman point sits at the second thoracic transverse process—just lateral to where the vertebra protrudes. This positioning differentiates it from other landmarks like a rib level (2nd intercostal space), a lumbar level (L2), or bony landmarks such as the PSIS, which do not map to the thyroid’s visceral point.