Anatom3DIntra-articular ligament of head of rib
Ligamentum capitis costae intraarticulare · Nitrokloubní vaz hlavice žebra
Joints & cartilage
Looks like
A short flat band inside the joint between a rib's head and the spine, tying the head to the disc between two vertebrae.
What it does
Splits the joint into two small chambers and anchors the rib head to the disc.
Keeping it well
Absent at ribs 1, 10, 11 and 12, which meet one vertebra only. Clinically rarely significant.
Related conditions
- Bone metastases and spinal cord compression
- Costochondritis
- Gout
- Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
- Lyme disease
- Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
- Osteoarthritis
- Pleural effusion
- Pneumothorax
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Temporomandibular joint disorder