Definition of Rib, sternal

1. Atrial Fibrillation Slideshow Pictures
2. Bad Bugs and Their Bites Slideshow
3. Understanding Ulcerative Colitis Slideshow

Rib, sternal: One of the first 7 pairs of ribs. A rib is said to be a "sternal" rib or a "true" rib if it attaches to the sternum (the breast bone).

All 12 pairs of ribs attach to the building blocks of the spine (vertebrae) in the back. The 12 pairs of ribs consist of:

• Sternal or true ribs: The first seven ribs attach to the sternum (the breast bone) in the front and are known as sternal or true ribs.
• False ribs: The lower five ribs do not directly connect to the sternum and are known as false ribs.

The upper three false ribs connect to the costal cartilages of the ribs just above them. The last two false ribs, however, usually have no ventral attachment (no anchor at all in front) and are called floating, fluctuating or vertebral ribs.