The articulations of the heads of the ribs (or costocentral articulations) constitute a series of gliding or arthrodial

joints A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

, and are formed by the articulation of the heads of the typical

rib In vertebrate anatomy, ribs () are the long curved bones which form the rib cage, part of the axial skeleton. In most tetrapods, ribs surround the thoracic cavity, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the ...

s with the

costal facet A costal facet is a site of connection between a rib and a vertebra. The costal facets are located on the vertebrae that the rib articulates with. They are the superior costal facet, the inferior costal facet, and the transverse costal facet. Ri ...

s on the contiguous margins of the bodies of the

thoracic vertebrae In vertebrates, thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. In humans, there are twelve thoracic vertebra (anatomy), vertebrae of intermediate size between the ce ...

and with the

intervertebral disc An intervertebral disc (British English), also spelled intervertebral disk (American English), lies between adjacent vertebrae in the vertebral column. Each disc forms a fibrocartilaginous joint (a symphysis), to allow slight movement of the ver ...

s between them; the first, eleventh and twelfth ribs each articulate with a single vertebra. Two convex facets from the head attach to two adjacent vertebrae, at the

inferior costal facet The inferior costal facet (or inferior costal fovea) is a site where a rib forms a joint with the inferior aspect of the body of a thoracic vertebra. In the adjacent picture, the arrow points to an inferior costal facet. The facets are named for ...

of the superior vertebra, and the

superior costal facet The superior costal facet (or superior costal fovea) is a site where a rib forms a joint with the top of a vertebra. Ribs connect to the thoracic vertebrae at two main points, the inferior and superior costal facets. These connection points are ...

of the inferior vertebra respectively. This forms the synovial planar (gliding) joint. The ligaments of the joints are: * Intra-articular ligament of head of rib *

Radiate ligament of head of rib The radiate ligament of head of rib is a ligament of the costovertebral joint that typically connects the anterior edge of the head of each rib, and the side of the bodies of two adjacent vertebrae Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular ...

Additional images

File:Gray204.png, Orientation of the

rib cage The rib cage or thoracic cage is an endoskeletal enclosure in the thorax of most vertebrates that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum, which protect the vital organs of the thoracic cavity, such as the heart, lungs and great ve ...

on the

vertebral column The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmente ...

References

Thorax (human anatomy) Joints {{musculoskeletal-stub