Second rib

Costa vera II

SkeletalSkeletonThoraxLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is
The second rib, a true (vertebrosternal) rib: a curved flattened bar whose head articulates with T2 and the vertebra above, its tubercle with the T2 transverse process, sloping down and forward to its costal cartilage.
Function
Protects the thoracic organs and moves up and out with the intercostal muscles during breathing (bucket-handle motion).
Size
Cross-section ≈ 6 × 11 mm; arc length ≈ 24 cm
Clinical note
Rib fractures are most common at the angle of the rib, the weakest point of the curve.

Nearby skeletal structures Clavicle, Fifth rib, First costal cartilage, First rib, Fourth rib, Intervertebral disc T1–T2, Intervertebral disc T2–T3, Intervertebral disc T3–T4, T2 vertebra, Third rib