The ribs are curved, flat bones forming the majority of the thoracic cage.

There are 12 pairs of ribs, all of which articulate with the vertebral column, but only the first seven ribs directly articulate with the sternum. Based on articulations there are three types of ribs:

True (vertebrosternal) ribs - 1 to 7, which attach directly to the sternum via their own costal cartilages;
False (vertebrochondral) ribs - ribs 8 to 10, which are connected to the sternum indirectly via the cartilage of the rib above them;
Floating (free) ribs - ribs 11 and 12, which do not articulate with other ribs, costal cartilages or sternum; their cartilages tend to end within the abdominal musculature.

Based on their structure ribs can be classified as either typical or atypical.

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Ribs