Left 5th Costal Cartilage (Cartilago costalis prima sinister)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
The left fifth costal cartilage is a bar of hyaline cartilage that connects the anterior extremity of the left 5th rib to the lateral border of the sternum. Imparting crucial mechanical elasticity to the thoracic cage, it allows expansion of the chest wall during inspiration while protecting underlying cardiopulmonary viscera.
Clinical notes
Costochondritis of the anterior costal cartilages produces localized, tender anterior chest wall pain that can clinically simulate acute coronary syndrome or pleurisy.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Left 5th Costal Cartilage?
The left fifth costal cartilage is a bar of hyaline cartilage that connects the anterior extremity of the left 5th rib to the lateral border of the sternum. Imparting crucial mechanical elasticity to the thoracic cage, it allows expansion of the chest wall during inspiration while protecting underlying cardiopulmonary viscera.
Why is the Left 5th Costal Cartilage clinically important?
Costochondritis of the anterior costal cartilages produces localized, tender anterior chest wall pain that can clinically simulate acute coronary syndrome or pleurisy.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details