Sternum

Information about Sternum

This article is about vertebrate anatomy. For the arthropod anatomical structure, see Sternum (arthropod).

*Bone: Sternum*

Thoracic cage

Posterior surface of sternum.
	subject #27 119
MeSH	Sternum
Dorlands/Elsevier	s_23/12758288

The sternum (from Greek στέρνον, sternon, "chest" and hebrew pronounced "Shamokin" also meaning chest) or breastbone is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest). It connects to the rib bones via cartilage, forming the rib cage with them, and thus helps to protect the lungs, heart and major blood vessels from physical trauma.

The sternum is sometimes cut open (a median sternotomy) to gain access to the thoracic contents when performing cardiothoracic surgery.

Overview

The sternum is an elongated, flattened bone, forming the middle portion of the anterior wall of the thorax. Its upper end supports the clavicles (Collar bones), and its margins articulate with the cartilages of the first seven pairs of ribs. Its top is also connected to the Sternocleidomastoid muscle. It consists of three parts, from above downward:

In early life, the body of sternum consists of four segments or sternebrœ.

In its natural position, the inclination of the bone is oblique from above, downward and forward. It is slightly convex in front and concave behind; broad above, becoming narrowed at the point where the manubrium joins the body, after which it again widens a little to below the middle of the body, and then narrows to its lower extremity. Its average length in the adult is about 17 cm, and is rather longer in the male than in the female.

Structure

The sternum is composed of highly vascular cancellous tissue, covered by a thin layer of compact bone which is thickest in the manubrium between the articular facets for the clavicles.

Articulations

The sternum articulates on either side with the clavicle and upper seven costal cartilages.

Fractures of the sternum

Fractures of the sternum are not common. However, they may result from trauma, such as when a driver's chest is forced into the steering column of a car in a car accident. A fracture of the sternum is usually a comminuted fracture, meaning it is broken into pieces. The most common site of sternal fractures is at the sternal angle.

Additional images

Anterior surface of sternum and costal cartilages.

References

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 4th ed. Keith L. Moore and Arthur F. Dalley. pp. 66-68.

Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids

In hominids, the chest is the region of the body between the neck and the abdomen, along with its internal organs and other contents.
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RIB can mean:

Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
Romanian International Bank
Routing Information Base

This article is about the bones called ribs. For other meanings, see rib (disambiguation).

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Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is composed of collagen fibers and/or elastin fibers, and can supply smooth surfaces for the movement of articulating bones.
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The human rib cage is a part of the human skeleton within the thoracic area. A typical human ribcage consists of 24 ribs, 12 on each side of the thoracic cavity, the sternum and the 12 thoracic vertebrae in both males and females.
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lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity.^[1]]]

The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing vertebrates, the most primitive being the lungfish.
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heart is a muscular organ responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in the annelids, mollusks, and arthropods.
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Physical trauma refers to a physical injury. A trauma patient is someone who has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury potentially resulting in secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death.
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Median sternotomy is a type of surgical procedure in which a vertical inline incision is made along the sternum, after which the sternum itself is divided, or "cracked". This procedure provides access to the heart and lungs for surgical procedures such as heart transplant,
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Collarbone and collar bone redirect here. The eye abnormality is correctly spelled coloboma.

This article uses some professional terms to describe relative positions and directions.

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In human anatomy, the sternocleidomastoid (pronounced /ˌstɚ.noˌkli.dəˈmæs.tɔɪ̯d/) muscles are anterior muscles in the neck that act to flex and rotate the head.
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The manubrium (from Latin manubrĭum, "a handle") or manubrium sterni is the broad, upper part of the sternum. With a quadrangular shape, wider superiorly and narrower inferiorly, it articulates with the clavicles and the first two ribs.
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The body of the sternum (gladiolus), considerably lengthier, narrower, and thinner than the manubrium, attains its greatest breadth close to the lower end.

Surfaces

Its anterior surface
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The xiphoid process is a small cartilaginous extension to the lower part of the sternum which is usually ossified in the adult human. By age 15 to 29, the xiphoid usually fuses to the body of the sternum with a fibrous joint.
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1 centimetre =
SI units
010⁻³ m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
010⁻³ ft 0 in

A centimetre (American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm
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The costal cartilages are bars of hyaline cartilage which serve to prolong the ribs forward and contribute very materially to the elasticity of the walls of the thorax.

Differences from 1-12

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The automotive steering column is a device intended primarily for connecting the steering wheel to the steering mechanism by transferring the driver's input torque from the steering wheel.
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CAR is a three-letter acronym that can stand for:

Central African Republic
Action Committee for Renewal, a political party of Togo
Canadian Airborne Regiment
Canadian Atlantic Railway
Canadian Aviation Regulations
Canonical anticommutation relation

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car accident or car crash is an incident in which an automobile collides with anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings or trees, or in which the driver loses control of the vehicle and damages it in some other
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bone fracture is a medical condition in which a bone breaks. A bone fracture can also occur as a result of certain medical conditions that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, certain types of cancer or Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

Any type of bone break is a fracture.
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The sternal angle is the angle formed by the junction of the manubrium and the body of the sternum in the form of a secondary cartilaginous joint (symphysis). This is also called the manubriosternal joint or Angle of Louis. The sternal angle is a palpable clinical landmark.
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The costal cartilages are bars of hyaline cartilage which serve to prolong the ribs forward and contribute very materially to the elasticity of the walls of the thorax.

Differences from 1-12

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Public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests within a particular legal jurisdiction.
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Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy as it has commonly been shortened) is an English-language human anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on the subject.
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The sternum originally consists of two cartilaginous bars, situated one on either side of the median plane and connected with the cartilages of the upper nine ribs of its own side.
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In sciences dealing with the anatomy of animals, precise anatomical terms of location are necessary for a variety of reasons. Non-scientists often wonder why zoological and human anatomists use complex terminology to describe locations on a body, when common terms like "up",
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Pectus carinatum
Classification & external resources

ICD-10 Q 67.7
ICD-9 754.82

DiseasesDB 29402

Pectus carinatum, also called pigeon chest, is a deformity of the chest characterized by a protrusion of the sternum and ribs.
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Sternum

Information about Sternum

Overview

Structure

Articulations

Fractures of the sternum

Additional images

References

See also

Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids

Surfaces

Differences from 1-12

Differences from 1-12