Where the eleventh rib sits in the skeleton
The eleventh rib is the 11th of the twelve pairs of ribs forming the rib cage. Its back end articulates with the thoracic vertebrae. It is a floating rib: its front end does not reach the sternum and ends in the muscles of the abdominal wall. The ribs surround the heart and lungs and move with breathing. It has no clear neck or tubercle and does not meet a transverse process, and its front end tapers into a pointed cartilage within the abdominal wall muscles. The upper pole of the left kidney usually lies at the level of the eleventh rib.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of the skeleton is the eleventh rib in?
The eleventh rib is one of the bones of the rib cage. Twelve pairs of ribs form the rib cage around the heart and lungs.
How many ribs are there?
There are twelve pairs of ribs, 24 in all. Ribs 1 to 7 are true ribs, ribs 8 to 10 are false ribs, and ribs 11 and 12 are floating ribs.
What lies above and below the 11th rib?
The 10th rib lies above it and the 12th rib below. At the back it articulates with the thoracic vertebrae.
Why are floating ribs called floating?
The front ends of the eleventh and twelfth ribs reach neither the sternum nor another cartilage; they end in the abdominal wall muscles, free at the front.
Other ribs
- First rib
- Second rib
- Third rib
- Fourth rib
- Fifth rib
- Sixth rib
- Seventh rib
- Eighth rib
- Ninth rib
- Tenth rib
- Twelfth rib
Joints of the eleventh rib
Compare with similar bones
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