The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury.

Costochondritis. Costochondritis is the most common cause of sternum pain and occurs when the cartilage between the sternum and ribs becomes inflamed and irritated. Costochondritis can sometimes occur as the result of osteoarthritis but may also happen for no apparent reason.

The xiphoid process is a tiny bone structure located at the center of the chest, just below the lower part of the sternum. At birth, the xiphoid process is formed from cartilage that eventually develops into bone.

The first seven ribs in the rib cage are attached to the sternum by pliable cartilages called costal cartilages; these ribs are called true ribs. Of the remaining five ribs, which are called false, the first three have their costal cartilages connected to the cartilage above them.

The shape of the sternum looks somewhat like a sword pointing downwards, with the manubrium forming the handle, the body forming the blade, and the xiphoid process forming the tip. In fact, the name manubrium means “handle,” gladiolus means “sword,” and xiphoid means “sword-shaped.”

The thymus is a small organ located just behind the breast bone (sternum) in the front part of the chest….The thymus has 3 main layers:

• The medulla is the inside part of the thymus.
• The cortex is the layer that surrounds the medulla.
• The capsule is the thin covering over the outside of the thymus.

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) or a painkiller such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), may be used. Popping may go away along with the inflammation over time. Rest can also help, though this is difficult to achieve with the joints associated with the sternum.

Symptoms of Chest Wall Tumors People with malignant chest wall tumors might experience one or more of the following: Pain or soreness. Swelling. Impaired movement or chest expansion.

Anteriorly, each rib ends in a costal cartilage. True ribs (1–7) attach directly to the sternum via their costal cartilage. The false ribs (8–12) either attach to the sternum indirectly or not at all. Ribs 8–10 have their costal cartilages attached to the cartilage of the next higher rib.

The Anatomy of a Floating Rib The first seven ribs attach directly to the sternum through cartilage that forms at the end of each rib. Others attach indirectly because they are attached to the cartilage of the rib above. The last two pairs of ribs at the very bottom of the rib cage do not attach to the sternum at all.

The parts of a rib include the head, neck, body (or shaft), tubercle , and angle. The head of the rib lies next to a vertebra. The ribs connect to the vertebrae with two costovertebral joints, one on the head and one on the neck.

Sternum, also called breastbone, in the anatomy of tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates), elongated bone in the centre of the chest that articulates with and provides support for the clavicles (collarbones) of the shoulder girdle and for the ribs. Its origin in evolution is unclear.

In humans, the rib cage, also known as the thoracic cage, is a bony and cartilaginous structure which surrounds the thoracic cavity and supports the shoulder girdle to form the core part of the human skeleton. A typical human rib cage consists of 24 ribs in 12 pairs, the sternum and xiphoid process, the costal cartilages,…

Rib cage: The rib cage consists of 12 pairs of ribs, costal cartilages, sternum and the thoracic vertebrae. The rib cage is gives structure to the thorax and surrounds and protects the vital organs of the chest, such as the heart, lungs and great vessels.