Thorax - Lecture 1 Flashcards
What structures does the thoracic wall protect?
- lungs
- heart
- great vessels
- liver
- spleen
what are the skeletal components of the thoracic wall?
- 12 thoracic vertebrae
- 12 pairs of ribs
- sternum
What are the parts of the sternum?
- manubrium
- body
- xiphoid process
what important structure on the manubrium of the sternum can you palpate?
jugular notch
What is the first rib you can palpate?
cartilage of the 2nd rib
What is the importance of the Angle of Louis?
It is a landmark to find the 2nd rib
what are 2 joints found in the the sternum?
- manubriosternal joint
2. Xiphisternal joint
what ribs are true ribs?
1st-7th
what ribs are floating ribs?
11th-12th
what ribs are false ribs?
8-10th
True (vertebrosternal) ribs
They attach directly to the sternum through their own costal cartilages
false (vertebrochondral) ribs
Their cartilages are connected to the cartilage of the rub above them; thus their connection with the sternum is indirect
Floating (vertebral, free) ribs
The rudimentary cartilages of these ribs do not connect even indirectly with the sternum; instead they end in the posterior abdominal musculature
what ribs are considered “typical ribs”
3rd - 9th
Which ribs are atypical ribs?
1, 2, 10-12th
What kind of joints connect the ribs to the vertebrae?
synovial joints
What is the purpose of the costal groove?
to protect intercostal vessels and nerves (VAN)
What does elevation of the lower ribs during inspiration do?
increases transverse diameter of thoracic cavity
What does elevation of the sternum do?
increases A-P dimension of thoracic cavity
The muscles of the thoracic wall are innervated by what nerve?
intercostal nerves
the scalene muscles are innervated by?
branches of the cervical plexus
what muscles are used during inspiration?
- scalenus muscles
2. external intercostal muscles
what muscles are used during expiration?
- internal intercostal muscles
- innermost intercostal muscles
- transverse thoracic muscle
- subcostal muscles
what action does the scalenus and external intercostal muscles perform?
they elevate the ribs during inspiration
what action do the muscles of expiration perform?
depression of ribs during expiration
what does the diaphragm separate?
separates the thoracic cavity from abdominal region
Which side of the diaphragm is higher? Why?
the right side because the liver is directly underneath . It is on the level of T8