General structure
The 'typical' ribs, 2-10, have all the general features described below. Occasionally, ribs 2 and 10 may show atypical features. The atypical ribs are 1, 11 and 12.
General features include:
- head
- neck
- tubercle
- angle
- shaft
- costal groove
- anterior end
- rib junctions
General trends include:
- the tubercle to angle distance increases from superior to inferior ribs
- the upper six ribs are tightly curved to bend 180 degrees from vertebra to sternum. The lower six ribs have a less pronounced curve that requires them, if they have costal cartilages, to extend them for relatively longer
- ribs 1-6 and 10-12 are relatively flat whereas the group between show a more pronounced angulation between neck and shaft
Related pages
Create an account to add page annotations
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.