This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

General structure

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

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

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.