The sternum and ribs are important bony structures of the thorax, the sternum is located in front of the chest wall, the ribs are located on both sides of the thorax, and the ribs are connected to the sternum through the costal cartilage, which together form the thorax. The thorax can not only protect the heart, lungs and other important organs, but also assist in respiratory movement.
The sternum is a long flat bone, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, located under the skin in the middle of the anterior wall of the thorax, and is divided into three parts, namely, the sternal handle, the sternal body and the raphe, from the top to the bottom. The upper and both sides of the sternum, respectively, with the clavicle, seven pairs of rib cartilage connection.
There are 12 pairs of human ribs, symmetrical on both sides, the posterior end is connected with the thoracic vertebrae, and the anterior end is only the 1st-7th ribs are connected with the sternum by the rib cartilage, which is called the true ribs; the 8th-12th ribs are called the false ribs, of which the 8th-10th ribs are connected with the rib cartilage of the 7th rib by the rib cartilage to form the arch of ribs, and the 11th-12th ribs are free in the anterior end, which are also called the floating ribs.