Hello,

I am finding it hard to understand the connection between ribs and vertebraes.

My question is about which rib with which vertebrae are connected (for example: first rib is connected with the 7th cervical vertebrae?)

Thank you!

First rib: anterior connection to the manubrium, posterior connection to the body of t1.

 

Second rib: anterior connection to the sternal angle, posterior connection or facets between t1 and t2

 

3rd to 7th: anterior connection to the sternal body, posterior connection to the top of respective vertebrae (and bottom Demi facet of one vertebra above)

 

8-9th: anterior connection to t7 and posterior connection to top of respective vertebrae (plus Demi facet of one vertebra above).

 

10th rib: anterior connection to t7 and posterior to full facet on body of t10.

 

11-12th: floating ribs, posterior connection to full facets of respective vertebrae.

It may be interesting to appreciate that every rib, with exception from the 1st, 11th and 12th, articulate with 2 vertebrae using 3 articulations:

• Rib X (not 10th, just a random rib) will have articulations with
  • Vertebra X-1, more specifically the inferior articular pit by the uppermost articular face on the head of the rib (caput costae), divided from the lowermost by the crest of the head of the rib (crista capitis costae)
  • Body of vertebra X, more specifically the superior articular pit, by the lowermost articular face on the head of the rib; although there are, in fact, 2 articular faces on a head of a rib, we, in osteology, only describe 1 "facies articularis capitis costae" (articular face of the head of the rib)
  • Transverse process (proc. transersus) of vertebra X, by the articular face (facies articularis tuberculi costae) on the costal tubercle (tuberculum costalis)

Yeah I find this arrangement interesting. There may be an embryological explanation for this pattern of development, perhaps some sort of somite or notochord signalling mechanism.