16th February 2024

Thoracic cage

The bony thoracic wall, aka thoracic cage, comprises the thoracic vertebrae, ribs, costal cartilage and sternum. There are a total of 12 ribs. The first seven ribs are true ribs, connected to the vertebral column on the back and directly with the sternum anteriorly. The next three are false ribs, as their front attachment with the sternum is indirectly via combined costal cartilage. 

The last two are the floating ribs, which do not have anterior attachment to the sternum. Inferior and just internal to each rib is the costal groove. The costal groove contains the intercostal vein, artery and nerve from superior to inferior.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (2014). Endothoracic fascia, Licensed under a creative commons licence. Available for free at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Endothoracic_fascia.svg (Accessed: 9 January 2024).