6th Rib

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The sixth rib is a typical rib - that is, it is fully connected to the sternum and does not have much variation in shape, size or location from person to person. Ribs are flat, curved bones that form the framework of the chest and make up a cage to protect the heart, lungs and other upper organs. There are twelve pairs of ribs, each joined at the back of the cage to a vertebra in the spine. Between the ribs, and attached to them, are thin sheets of muscle that help to expand and relax the chest during breathing. The spaces between the ribs contain nerves and blood vessels. There are seven true ribs attached to the sternum (breastbone) directly by their costal cartilages, and the pair of sixth ribs is one of these. The front ends of the upper ribs are linked to the sternum by cartilage, which is tough, thick and elastic. It has no blood supply of its own, but obtains nutrients from tissue fluid. The ligaments which join the costal cartilages of the ribs to the clavicle (collarbone) are called the costoclavicular ligaments.