The costotransverse joint is the

joint A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

formed between the facet of the tubercle of the rib and the adjacent

transverse process Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spina ...

of a

thoracic The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main ...

vertebra Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spina ...

. The costotransverse joint is a plane type of synovial joint which, under physiological conditions, allows only gliding movement. This costotransverse joint is present in all but the eleventh and twelfth

rib In vertebrate anatomy, ribs () are the long curved bones which form the rib cage, part of the axial skeleton. In most tetrapods, ribs surround the thoracic cavity, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the ...

s. The first ten ribs have two joints in close proximity posteriorly; the

costovertebral joint The costovertebral joints are the joints that connect the ribs to the vertebral column. * The articulation of head of rib, articulation of the head of rib connects the rib, head of the rib and the Vertebra, bodies of thoracic vertebra, vertebrae. ...

s and the costotransverse joints. This arrangement restrains the motion of the ribs allowing them to work in a parallel fashion during

breathing Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the rhythmical process of moving air into ( inhalation) and out of ( exhalation) the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the internal environment, mostly to flush out carbon dioxide and bring in oxy ...

. If a typical rib had only one joint posteriorly the resultant swivel action would allow a rib to be non-parallel with respect to the neighboring ribs making for a very inefficient breathing.

Anatomy

Ligaments

The ligaments of the joint are: *

Costotransverse ligament A costotransverse ligament is ligament of the costotransverse joint which attaches at (the posterior aspect of) the neck of a rib, and at (the anterior aspect of) the transverse process of its corresponding vertebra. It extends posteriorly from t ...

* Lateral costotransverse ligament * (Anterior and posterior) superior costotransverse ligament * Accessory ligament - typically present. It is medial to the superior costotransverse ligament, with the dorsal ramus of a thoracic spinal nerve and associated vessels intervening between the two. Its attachments are variable. The ligaments limit the movements of the joint to slight gliding.

Innervation

The intercostal nerves innervate the costotransverse joints. Therefore, therapeutic medial branch blocks are ineffectual.

References

External links

{{Authority control Joints Thorax (human anatomy)