Floating ribs
Costae fluctuantes
Definition
The true ribs (sternal ribs) are directly connected to the sternum, the false ribs (asternal ribs) are indirectly connected to the sternum by uniting with the cartilage of the rib in front to form the costal arch, and the floating ribs are the most caudal ribs, whose cartilage ends free in the musculature without attachment to an adjacent cartilage.
References
Text by Antoine Micheau, MD - Copyright IMAIOS
