Bone
Typical rib
A curved plate that links the spine to the chest wall
High-yield
The groove near the lower edge shelters the main intercostal bundle. Its usual superior-to-inferior order is vein, artery, then nerve.
Overview
Ribs 3–9 show the usual head, neck, tubercle and curved shaft pattern. The head and tubercle attach the rib to the vertebral column, while the anterior end continues into costal cartilage.
Reference facts
- Bone type
- Flat bone
- Key landmarks
- Head; Neck; Tubercle; Rib angle; Curved shaft; Costal groove
- Articulations
- Head with adjacent vertebral bodies in a typical rib; tubercle with the same-numbered vertebra's transverse process; anterior end with costal cartilage
Clinical correlation
A rib fracture can injure nearby vessels, pleura or lung. Smaller collateral vessels also occupy the rib space, so knowing the main bundle's position does not make a rib border a universally safe procedural route.
Frequently asked questions
What type of bone is the typical rib?
The typical rib is a flat bone bone.
What does the typical rib articulate with?
Head with adjacent vertebral bodies in a typical rib; tubercle with the same-numbered vertebra's transverse process; anterior end with costal cartilage.
What are the key landmarks of the typical rib?
Head; Neck; Tubercle; Rib angle; Curved shaft; Costal groove.