thoracic cage
Figure 7.32 Thoracic Cage The thoracic cage is formed by the a sternum and b 12 pairs of ribs with their costal cartilages. The ribs are anchored posteriorly to the 12 thoracic vertebrae. The sternum consists of the manubrium, body, and xiphoid process. The ribs are classified as true ribs 17 and false ribs 812 . The last two pairs of false ribs are also known as floating ribs 1112 .