thoracic
7.4 The Thoracic Cage The thoracic cage protects the heart and lungs. It is composed of 12 pairs of ribs with their costal cartilages and the sternum. The ribs are anchored posteriorly to the 12 thoracic vertebrae. The sternum consists of the manubrium, body, and xiphoid process. The manubrium and body are joined at the sternal angle, which is also the site for attachment of the second ribs. Ribs are flattened, curved bones and are numbered 112. Posteriorly, the head of the rib articulates with the costal facets located on the bodies of thoracic vertebrae and the rib tubercle articulates with the facet located on the vertebral transverse process. The angle of the ribs forms the most posterior portion of the thoracic cage. The costal groove in the inferior margin of each rib carries blood vessels and a nerve. Anteriorly, each rib ends in a costal cartilage. True ribs 17 attach directly to the sternum via their costal cartilage. The false ribs 812 either attach to the sternum indirectly or not at all. Ribs 810 have their costal cartilages attached to the cartilage of the next higher rib. The floating ribs 1112 are short and do not attach to the sternum or to another rib.