3th rib (left) (Costa tertia)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
Left rib 3: A typical rib: its head carries two articular facets joining vertebrae T2 and T3, a neck with tubercle on the same vertebra, and a curved body with a costal groove sheltering the 3rd intercostal vessels and nerve.
Clinical notes
A fractured 3rd rib hurts on deep breathing and coughing; multiple adjacent rib fractures create flail chest with paradoxical movement needing ventilatory support.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the 3th rib (left)?
Left rib 3: A typical rib: its head carries two articular facets joining vertebrae T2 and T3, a neck with tubercle on the same vertebra, and a curved body with a costal groove sheltering the 3rd intercostal vessels and nerve.
Why is the 3th rib (left) clinically important?
A fractured 3rd rib hurts on deep breathing and coughing; multiple adjacent rib fractures create flail chest with paradoxical movement needing ventilatory support.
Source & license
Derived from Z-Anatomy (Gauthier Kervyn et al.), CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); upstream geometry from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science. license details