Thorax Flashcards
What does the thorax contain?
It is the chest. It is comprised of the
- sternum.
- 12 pairs of ribs.
- thoracic vertre back.
What are the three compartments of the thorax?
Right and left pleural cavities and the mediastinum.
What is the Superior thoracic aperture?
It is the opening at the top of the thoracic cavity. It is at the root of the neck and in continuity with the neck.
What is the inferior thoracic aperture?
It is the bottom part of the thoracic inlet which is closed by the diaphragm.
What kind of structure is the diaphragm?
Musculotendinus structure (muscles and tendons).
Why is the diaphragm muscle dome shaped and higher on the right hand side?
It is higher on the right than the left, due to the position of the liver beneath.
How do muscle fibres arise in the diaphragm?
Muscle fibres arise radially from the costal margins and converge to insert into the central tendon.
What kind of muscle is the diaphragm made up of?
Skeletal muscle.
What nerve supplies the diaphragm?
Phrenic nerve. C345 keeps “the diaphragm alive”. This nerve is responsible for breathing.
What is referred pain?
The pain can go somewhere else in pathologies.
What fibres are in the phrenic nerve?
Motor and sensory.
What happens to the muscle in the diaphragm during inhalation and expiration?
On inspiration, the muscle flattens to increase the capacity of the thoracic cavity. On expiration, the diaphragm returns to its ‘dome’ shape.
Why is it a benefit that the aorta sits behind the diaphragm?
Diaphragm moves upwards in expiration, downwards on inhalation.
We want this vessel to be always open.
