Body of sternum
Corpus sterni
SkeletalSkeletonThorax
- What it is
- The long flat middle part of the breastbone, formed from four fused segments (sternebrae), with notches for costal cartilages 2–7.
- Function
- Forms the front of the rib cage and shields the heart; ribs 2–7 attach to it through their cartilages.
- Size
- ≈ 100 mm long, 25–35 mm wide, 10 mm thick
- Clinical note
- Red marrow persists here throughout life, so it is a site for bone-marrow aspiration; it is split for open-heart surgery.