Where the third rib sits in the skeleton
The third rib is the 3rd of the twelve pairs of ribs forming the rib cage. Its back end articulates with the thoracic vertebrae. It is a true rib: its front end joins the sternum directly through its own costal cartilage. The ribs surround the heart and lungs and move with breathing. The third to ninth ribs are typical ribs, running from the back as a head, neck, tubercle and shaft. The head meets the bodies of the vertebra of the same number and the one above, and the tubercle meets the transverse process of the vertebra of the same number.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of the skeleton is the third rib in?
The third 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 3rd rib?
The 2nd rib lies above it and the 4th rib below. At the back it articulates with the thoracic vertebrae.
What are the parts of a rib?
From the back: the head, the neck, the tubercle and the long curved shaft, whose front end continues as the costal cartilage.
Other ribs
- First rib
- Second rib
- Fourth rib
- Fifth rib
- Sixth rib
- Seventh rib
- Eighth rib
- Ninth rib
- Tenth rib
- Eleventh rib
- Twelfth rib
Joints of the third rib
Compare with similar bones
Bone counts
By region
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