THORACIC AND
CHEST WALL
THORAX
Consist of the:
Thoracic vertebrae ( 12)
Ribs (12)
Sternum
Forms a protection for the heart, lungs and viscera.
THORAX
Role in ventilation
The process of ventilation depends on:
1. The mobility of the bony rib thorax
2. Ability of the muscles of ventilation to move it.
Musculoskeletal abnormalities for example, scoliosis limits range of motion of
the chest cage and the spine and therefore, decrease ventilation abilities.
RIB CAGE
The rib cage is a closed chain that involves many joints and muscles.
Borders:
Anterior border: of the rib cage is the sternum.
Lateral borders: are the ribs.
Posterior border: is formed by the thoracic vertebrae.
RIB CAGE
The superior border formed by the:
Jugular notch of the sternum,
Superior borders of the 1 costocartilages,
1 ribs and their contiguous 1 thoracic vertebra.
The inferior border formed by:
The xiphoid process,
The shared costocartilage of ribs 6 through 10,
The inferior portions of the 11th and 12th ribs,
The 12th thoracic vertebra.
RIB
Curved flat bones
Gradually increase in length from rib 1 to rib 7
Decrease in length from rib 8 to rib 12.
Head of each rib articulates with thoracic vertebral bodies.
RIB CAGE
True ribs ( vertebrosternal):
1st – 7th ribs
Each rib, through its costocartilage attaches directly to the sternum.
False ribs( vertebrochondral):
8th - 10th ribs.
Costocartilage of the 8th through 10th ribs articulates with the costocartilages
of the superior rib.
indirectly articulating with the sternum through rib 7.
Floating ribs ( 11th and 12th ):
No anterior attachment to the sternum.
RIBS
Typical ribs:
3-9 and 10 are typical ribs which have same features.
RIBS
Atypical ribs:
The 1st, 10th 11th and 12th ribs are atypical
ribs
Because they articulate with only one
vertebral body.
STERNUM
The sternum is an osseous protective plate for the heart and is composed of:
Manubrium
Body
Xiphoid process
ARTICULATIONS OF RIB CAGE
Manubriosternal (MS)
Xiphisternal (XS)
Costovertebral (CV)
Costotransverse (CT)
Costochondral (CC)
Chondrosternal (CS)
Interchondral (IC)
MANUBRIOSTERNAL JOINT
The manubrium and the body of the sternum articulate at the MS joint.
Also known as the sternal angle or the angle of Louis.
XIPHISTERNAL JOINT
Xiphoid process joins the inferior aspect of the sternal body at the XS joint.
Also called as synchonrdosis and ossify by 40-50 year of age
COSTOVERTEBRAL JOINT
Synovial joint Formed by the:
head of the rib
two adjacent vertebral bodies
interposed intervertebral disk.
Ribs 2 to 9 have typical CV joints, as the heads of these ribs each have two
articular facets, or demifacets.
COSTOTRANSVERSE JOINT
The CT joint is a synovial joint.
Formed by the articulation of the costal tubercle of the rib with a costal facet on
the transverse process of the corresponding vertebra.
There are 10 pairs of CT joints articulating vertebrae T1 through T10 with the
rib of the same number
COSTOCHONDRAL
The CC joints are formed by the articulation of the 1 st through 10th ribs
anterolaterally with the costal cartilages.
The CC joints are synchondroses.
CHONDROSTERNAL JOINT
The CS joints are formed by the articulation of the costal cartilages of ribs 1 to 7
anteriorly with the sternum.
Rib 1 attaches to the lateral facet of the manubrium.
Rib 2 is attached via two demifacets at the manubriosternal junction.
Ribs 3 through 7 articulate with the lateral facets of the sternal body.
INTERCHONDRAL JOINT
The interchondral joints are synovial joints.
The interchondral articulations tend to become fibrous and fuse with age.
KINEMATICS OF RIB
The movement of the rib cage is governed by:
1. the types and angles of the articulations
2. the movement of the manubriosternum
3. the contribution of the elasticity of the costal cartilages.
Costovertebral and costotrasverse joint are mechanically linked with
single axis of motion for elevation and depression through centre of both
joints
THANKYOU
