Anterior thoracic wall

Looks like

The front wall of the chest cavity — the same area as the front chest wall, seen from inside as the lining over the sternum and ribs.

What it does

Encloses the front of the heart and lungs; the internal thoracic vessels run down its inner surface.

Keeping it well

Surgeons open it through the breastbone for heart surgery; the internal thoracic artery here is used for bypass grafts.

Its parts

• Right transversus thoracis
• Left transversus thoracis

Related conditions

• Acromegaly
• Botulism
• Fibromyalgia
• Fractures
• Fragility fracture
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Heat exhaustion & heatstroke
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Muscular dystrophy
• Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)
• Osteomalacia & rickets
• Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• Osteoporosis
• Paget's disease of bone
• Pleural effusion
• Pneumothorax
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Sarcoma
• Sarcopenia
• Tetanus
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies
• Vitamin D deficiency