Also called: rib cage, ribs
Humans have twelve pairs of ribs forming the rib cage with the thoracic vertebrae and sternum. The upper seven pairs are true ribs attached directly to the sternum, ribs eight to ten are false ribs attached through the costal cartilage above, and the last two pairs are floating ribs without a front attachment.
| Type | Flat, curved bones. |
|---|---|
| Location | Thoracic wall, articulating with thoracic vertebrae posteriorly. |
| Landmarks | Head, neck, tubercle, angle, shaft, costal groove. |
| Articulations | Thoracic vertebrae (costovertebral joints), costal cartilages and sternum. |
| Muscle attachments | Intercostal muscles, serratus anterior, external oblique, pectoralis minor, diaphragm, scalenes. |
3D model: BodyParts3D (CC BY 4.0), adult male reference anatomy. Highlighted structure shown with nearby bones for context.
Ribs move in a bucket-handle and pump-handle fashion during breathing. The neurovascular bundle runs in the costal groove on the inferior border of each rib.
Twelve pairs, or 24 in total.
Ribs eleven and twelve, which do not connect to the sternum or to the cartilage of the rib above.
Test yourself
Thorax bone quiz
Practise origins, insertions, nerve supply and locations with instant feedback.
Explore in context
Open the ribs in the full 3D atlas
Toggle body systems, explode the model and inspect every neighbouring structure.