This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Thoracic inlet (anatomy)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The thoracic inlet is the most superior aperture to the thorax and the boundary of the roof of the mediastinum. Also, it is termed the:

  • superior thoracic aperture; another anatomical term
  • thoracic outlet; clinical usage e.g. thoracic outlet syndrome. However, it is not the anatomical thoracic outlet - see submenu.

The thoracic inlet slopes obliquely anteriorly and inferiorly from the first vertebral body. Its anteroposterior diameter is 4.5-6cm. Its transverse diameter is 9-11cm.

The thoracic inlet can be described in terms of:

  • its bony margins
  • the relations of structures traversing the area

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.