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The sternal angle (also known as the angle of Louis, angle of Ludovic or manubriosternal junction) is the synarthrotic joint formed by the articulation of the
manubrium The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury. S ...
and the body of the sternum. The sternal angle is a palpable clinical landmark in surface anatomy.


Anatomy

The sternal angle, which varies around 162 degrees in males, marks the approximate level of the 2nd pair of costal cartilages, which attach to the second ribs, and the level of the
intervertebral disc An intervertebral disc (or intervertebral fibrocartilage) lies between adjacent vertebrae in the vertebral column. Each disc forms a fibrocartilaginous joint (a symphysis), to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, to act as a ligament to h ...
between T4 and T5. In clinical applications, the sternal angle can be palpated at the T4 vertebral level. The sternal angle is used in the definition of the thoracic plane. This marks the level of a number of other anatomical structures: The angle also marks a number of other features: :* Carina of the trachea is deep to the sternal angle :* :*Passage of the thoracic duct from right to left behind esophagus :* :* Ligamentum arteriosum :* :* Loop of left recurrent laryngeal nerve around aortic arch The angle is in the form of a secondary cartilaginous joint ( symphysis). This is where the 2nd rib joins with the sternum. A clinically useful feature of the (manubriosternal) joint is that it can be palpated easily. This is because the manubrium normally angles posteriorly on the body of the sternum, forming a raised feature referred to as the sternal angle.


History

The sternal angle is also called the angle of Louis, but the reason for that name was lost. Once thought to be after Antoine Louis or
Wilhelm Friedrich von Ludwig Wilhelm Frederick von Ludwig (16 September 1790 – 14 December 1865) was a German physician known for his 1836 publication on the condition now known as Ludwig's angina. Early life Ludwig was born in Uhlbach (near Stuttgart) in the state of Würt ...
, it is now believed to be after
Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis Pierre-Charles-Alexandre Louis (14 April 178722 August 1872) was a French physician, clinician and pathologist known for his studies on tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and pneumonia, but Louis's greatest contribution to medicine was the development o ...
.


See also

* Thoracic plane *
List of medical mnemonics This is a list of mnemonics used in medicine and medical science, categorized and alphabetized. A mnemonic is any technique that assists the human memory with information retention or retrieval by making abstract or impersonal information more acc ...


References


External links

* - "Thoracic Wall: Bones" {{DEFAULTSORT:Sternal Angle Bones of the thorax