2. Joints of the thoracic wall
Between the
• Vertebrae (intervertebral joints).
• Ribs and vertebrae (costovertebral joints: joints of
heads of ribs and costotransverse joints).
• Ribs and costal cartilages (costochondral joints).
• Costal cartilages (interchondral joints).
• Sternum and costal cartilages (sternocostal joints).
• Sternum and clavicle (sternoclavicular joints).
• Parts of the sternum (manubriosternal and xiphisternal
joints) in young people the manubriosternal (and
sometimes the xiphisternal) joint usually fuses in the
elderly.
5. INTERCHONDRAL JOINTS
• 7th-9th costal cartilages enters into contact
with one another and articulate with every
other by number of small synovial joints in
Interchondral joint.
• At some instances, they are also connected
by ligaments.
• 9th and 10th costal cartilages union is usually
ligamentous
6. Joint Type Articulation Ligaments Comments
Intervertebral Symphysis (second-
ary cartilaginous)
Adjacent vertebral
bodies bound
together by IV disc
Anterior and
posterior
longitudinal
Costovertebral
Joints of head
of rib
Synovial plane joint Head of each rib
with superior
demifacet or costal
facet of
corresponding
vertebral body and
inferior demifacet
or costal facet of
vertebral body
superior to it
Radiate and intra-
articular ligaments
of head of rib
Heads of 1st, 11th,
and 12th ribs
(sometimes 10th)
artculate only with
corresponding
vertebral body
Articulation of
tubercle of rib with
transverse process
of corresponding
vertebra
Lateral and
superior
costotransverse
11th and 12th ribs
do not articulate
with transverse
process of
corresponding
vertebrae
Costotransverse
Costochondral Primary cartilaginous
joint
Articulation of
lateral end of
costal cartilage
with sternal end of
Cartilage and bone
bound together by
periosteum
No movement
normally occurs at
this joint
7. Joint Type Articulation Ligaments Comments
Interchondral Synovial plane joint Articulation between
costal cartilages of 6th
and 7th, 7th and 8th,
and 8th and 9th ribs
Interchondral
ligaments
Articulation between
costal cartilages of 9th
and 10th ribs is fibrous
Sternocostal 1st: primary
cartilaginous joint
(synchondrosis)
Articulation of 1st
costal cartilages with
manubrium of sternum
2nd-7th: synovial plane
joint
Articulation of the 2nd-
7th pairs of costal
cartilages with sternum
Anterior and
posterior radiate
sternocostal
Sternoclavicular Saddle type of synovial
joint
Sternal end of clavicle
with manubrium of
sternum and 1st costal
cartilage
Anterior and
posterior
sternoclavicular
ligaments;
costoclavicular
ligament
This joint is divided into
two compartments by an
articular disc
Manubriosternal Secondary
cartilaginous joint
(symphysis)
Articulation between
manubrium and body
of sternum
This joint often fuses and
becomes a synostosis in
older individuals
Xiphistrnal Primary cartilaginous
joint (synchondrosis)
Articulation between
xiphoid process and
body of sternum
8.
9. MANUBRIOSTERNAL JOINT
• The manubriosternal joint is composed between the
lower end of the manubrium sterni and upper end of
the body of sternum. It is a secondary cartilaginous
joint (symphysis) between manubrium and body
of sternum. It allows minimal slipping movements of
body of sternum on the manubrium during respiration.
• The manubriosternal joint is not an average symphysis
because as a rule bones taking part in the formation of
a symphysis don’t go through bony union, but in many
people after 30 years of age bony union does take place
between the manubrium and the body of sternum.
10. The xiphisternal joint
• The xiphisternal joint arises as a
synchondrosis between the inferior
sternebrae of the sternal body and the
xiphoid process.
• It can remain until the middle years of
life, but usually ossifies to form a
synostosis between the two sternal
elements.
11. COSTOVERTEBRAL JOINTS
• The Costovertebral joints are created by
articulation of articular facets on the
head of ribs and costal facets on the
bodies of thoracic vertebrae.
• The head of typical rib articulates with
the body of numerically corresponding
vertebra and also with the body of next
higher vertebra.
13. LIGAMENTS
• Capsular ligament (joint capsule): It is the fibrous
capsule that covers/encloses the joint and is connected
to the articular margins.
• Radiate ligament/triradiate ligament: It stretches from
the anterior aspect of the head of rib and breaks up
into 3 bands: upper, lower, and middle. The upper and
lower bands are connected to the sides of upper and
lower vertebrae. The middle band (also referred to as
intra-articular ligament) gets connected to the
intervertebral disc.
• Intra-articular ligament: It stretches from the crest
between the 2 articular facets on the head of rib to the
intervertebral disc and splits the joint cavity into 2
parts.
14. Costovertebral joint
• The 1st, 10th, 11th, and
12th ribs joint with the bodies of
numerically corresponding
vertebrae.
• Costovertebral joint of typical ribs
got 2 joint cavities and those of
atypical ribs have single joint cavity.
