Right eleventh rib

Looks like

A short floating rib: attached only to the spine, its tip ending free in the flank muscles.

What it does

Protects the kidney and back of the liver or spleen and anchors flank muscles.

Keeping it well

Can break in falls onto the side; kidney injury then shows as blood in the urine. Surgeons use it as a landmark to reach the kidney.

Related conditions

• Acromegaly
• Fractures
• Fragility fracture
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)
• Osteomalacia & rickets
• Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• Osteoporosis
• Paget's disease of bone
• Pleural effusion
• Pneumothorax
• Sarcoma
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies
• Vitamin D deficiency