The bony enclosing wall of the chest consisting chiefly of the ribs and the structures connecting them
rib. abdominal ribs, asternal ribs false r's. cervical rib a supernumerary rib arising from a cervical vertebra. false ribs the five lower ribs on either side, not attached directly to the sternum. floating ribs the two lower false ribs on either side, usually without ventral attachment. rib. any of the paired bones, 12 on either side, extending from the thoracic vertebrae toward the median line on the ventral aspect of the trunk, forming the major part of the thoracic skeleton. Called also costa. See anatomic Table of Bones in the Appendices. 1. rib cage-the bony enclosing wall of the chest. chest, pectus, thorax-the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates. skeletal structure-any structure created by the skeleton of an organism a rib whose distal extremity is unattached to an adjacent rib or the sternum. rib retractor. heavy duty surgical instrument for separating ribs to allow surgeon better access to thoracic contents. See finochietto rib spreader. rib. any of the paired bones, 12 on either side, extending from the thoracic vertebrae toward the median line on the ventral aspect of the trunk, forming the major part of the thoracic skeleton. Called also costa. See anatomic Table of Bones in the Appendices. Medical Definition of RIB CAGE. : the bony enclosing wall of the chest consisting chiefly of the ribs and the structures connecting them—called also thoracic cage. Full Definition of RIB CAGE. : the bony enclosing wall of the chest consisting chiefly of the ribs and the structures connecting them. See rib cage defined for English-language learners. See rib cage defined for kids. ADVERTISEMENT The rib cage has three important functions: protection, support and respiration. It encloses and protects the heart and lungs. It provides a strong framework onto which the muscles of the shoulder girdle, chest, upper abdomen and back can attach. The bones of the rib cage are the sternum, the 12 thoracic vertebrae and the 12 pairs of ribs. The sternum is a flat bone that is made up of three parts, the (1) manubrium, (2) body, and the (3) xiphoid process. The top edge of the manubrium has a depression called the suprasternal or jugular notch. ribcage. n. 1. (Anatomy) the bony structure consisting of the ribs and their connective tissue that encloses and protects the lungs, heart, etc. 1  Facebook. 2  Twitter.  Usage notes. 1  In medicine, the space within the rib cage of living being is usually referred to as a cavity: chest (cavity), thoracic cavity when it includes the entire thorax ore pleural cavity when referring to the area surrounding the lungs. 
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rib cage definition