FLOATING RIB Meaning and
Definition
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A floating rib refers to a pair of ribs located in the lower part of the rib cage that lack a direct attachment to the sternum or breastbone. Typically, the human ribcage consists of 12 pairs of ribs, with each rib connecting to the vertebrae in the back and curving towards the front to meet the sternum or the cartilage of another rib. However, the floating ribs, also known as vertebral ribs or cervical ribs, are unique in that they do not connect directly to the sternum, but instead wrap around and terminate within the muscles of the abdominal wall.
Floating ribs are numbered as the 11th and 12th pair, although some individuals may have a 10th pair of floating ribs as well. Due to their lack of attachment to the sternum, these ribs are often more flexible and have less mobility than the other ribs. Although floating ribs are not directly connected to the sternum, they offer some structural support and protection to vital organs. However, their absence of attachment to the sternum makes them more susceptible to injury or fracturing compared to other ribs.
Floating ribs derive their name from their ability to move freely with individual respiration, which can contribute to a sensation of "floating" when palpated or touched.
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Costa fluctuans, one of the two lower ribs on either side which are not attached anteriorly.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for FLOATING RIB
- dloating rib
- cloating rib
- vloating rib
- gloating rib
- tloating rib
- rloating rib
- fkoating rib
- fpoating rib
- fooating rib
- fliating rib
- flkating rib
- fllating rib
- flpating rib
- fl0ating rib
- fl9ating rib
- flozting rib
- flosting rib
- flowting rib
- floqting rib
- floaring rib
Etymology of FLOATING RIB
The word "floating rib" is a compound term formed by combining the words "floating" and "rib".
The term "rib" can be traced back to the Old English word "ribb", which has Germanic roots. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word "reibaz" or "rebjan", meaning "rib".
The word "floating", in this context, refers to the particular nature of these ribs. The lower two pairs of ribs in humans, known as the eleventh and twelfth ribs, are called "floating ribs" because they are not directly connected to the sternum (breastbone) like the other ribs. Instead of being attached to the sternum via cartilage, these ribs are only connected to the vertebrae in the back.
Similar spelling words for FLOATING RIB
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