Crest of costal head
Crista capitis costae
Definition
The crest of costal head is a transverse ridge located on the head of a rib. It separates the two articular surfaces of the rib head, which are approximately equal in size, convex, and oriented cranially and caudally, respectively.
Variation:
In dogs and cats, it is always present on the first ten ribs, which articulate with two contiguous vertebrae, and is absent from the last two or three ribs, whose heads articulate only with the cranial costal facet of the corresponding vertebra.
References
Evans HE, de Lahunta A. Miller’s anatomy of the dog. 5th edition. St. Louis: Elsevier; 2013. Chapter 4, The skeleton; p. 80–157.
