Question

Which of these statements concerning ribs is true?

A. There are five pairs of floating ribs

B. Floating ribs do not attach to vertebrae

C. The head of the rib attaches to the manubrium of sternum

D. The true ribs attach directly to the sternum

Answer 1

The true ribs, which are ribs 1-7, attach directly to the sternum via their costal cartilage. False ribs attach indirectly, and the last two pairs known as floating ribs do not attach to the sternum.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the statements concerning ribs, the true statement is that true ribs attach directly to the sternum. These true ribs, which are the first seven pairs, are attached directly to the sternum via their costal cartilage, classifying them as vertebrosternal ribs.

In contrast, the false ribs (ribs 8-10) do not attach directly to the sternum but are connected to the cartilage of the next higher rib. Finally, the floating ribs (ribs 11-12) are not attached to the sternum or to another rib's cartilage but terminate within the musculature of the lateral abdominal wall.