Number of ribs. Why does the question arise, “How many ribs do a man and a woman have? Multiple rib fractures: causes

The controversy surrounding the question “How many ribs do a man and a woman have?” has its origins in biblical teachings. But fortunately, science has long proven that the number of ribs for all people on our planet is the same, and can only be different if someone decides to remove one or more dominoes, or due to some events loses them, and maybe congenital pathology is capable of taking place. In the latter case, any person can have either less or more of them. First, let's look a little at the biblical stories.

Origin of women according to the Bible

As is known from the biblical scriptures, God created a woman from the rib of Adam, who became bored alone in the Garden of Eden. It is a logical conclusion that a man has fewer ribs than a woman, since the Lord himself removed one of them from the body of sleeping Adam. Although if a person has a limb amputated, then his children are not born deprived of the same part of the body. No one can say for sure which of the 24 ribs was used for creation, since the Bible simply says - from a rib. This is the word used in modern editions of the Bible. It's funny, but there is an opinion that the word was translated incorrectly. In the original Hebrew, the part taken to create Eve is identified as “bone.”

There are also opinions that this bone was taken from... Adam's penis. There is even a well-known scar on the scrotum, which some interpret as a scar after an “operation” to remove the bone. Another hypothesis is again associated with an incorrect interpretation. In Hebrew, the words “rib” and “shadow” have similar spellings, and from this it follows that woman was created not from, but from Adam, that is we're talking about about spiritual things, and not about the material part of the first man. But no matter what disputes and debates are held now, what happened then (and whether it happened at all) is no longer possible to reliably know.

Maestro Anatomy

Development of medicine, study of structure human body made it possible to treat various kinds diseases and diagnose them at any stage. Invented large number medications - in general, everything has been done so that a person’s life can last as long as possible, which cannot be said about those times when treatment was based on prayers and worship of God. And that same human anatomy demonstrates very clearly that the standard set of ribs is the same for any representative of Homo Sapiens. Asking a question about how many ribs a man and a woman have with religious overtones is stupid, because there are dry scientific facts. For those who are not satisfied with this, they can go to the morgue and ask a fellow pathologist to demonstrate the human chest to see for themselves.

Structure of the chest

The shape of the chest resembles an ovoid, in other words, an egg. It is slightly pressed in at the front and cut off at the top and bottom. In front, the chest is formed by the sternum, and on the sides and back - by 12 pairs of ribs and vertebrae, to which they are attached using cartilaginous tissue. How many ribs a man and a woman have, for most people, even those not associated with medicine, has long been clear - there are 24 of them. What is also interesting is that only seven pairs (rarely eight) of 12 ribs are attached to the front of the sternum. The rest are either connected between themselves (from the eighth to the tenth), or remain free or oscillating (tenth to twelfth ribs).

Differences in the structure of the chest that actually occur

How many ribs men and women have and what differences there are between them are explained at school. For example, a person who is intensely involved in sports (weightlifting, swimming) will have a different chest shape than a person who constantly sits at a computer. Incorrect sitting sitting at a desk at school and poorly developed muscles can lead to a “collapse” of the chest, which has an unhealthy effect on the functioning of the heart and lungs. Scoliosis, crooked posture, and rickets also make the chest “individual.” And both women and men are susceptible to all these deformations.

Naturally, women, as small and fragile creatures, have smaller chests than full-sized ones. developed men. But it also happens the other way around - fragile men and women of impressive size. So asking the question “How many ribs do a man and a woman have?” wrong. It is correct to ask - how many ribs does a person have?

The human ribs form the rib cage and belong to the skeletal system. In this case, the chest resembles a kind of truncated cone, the base of which is directed downward. In front, the rib cage is located behind the sternum, and in the back and front it is connected by twelve pairs of cartilage and ribs; in the back is the spine. Thanks to the ribs, the chest organs and liver are protected from injury.

Return to the Bible: How many pairs of ribs does a person have?

The question of the different number of ribs in women and men came to us from the scriptures. In the Book of the Old Testament there is a record: “and the Lord God created a woman from a rib taken from a man and brought her to the man.” Such writing was relevant to the question of the historical creation of the sexes, and appeared much earlier, even during the time of the Pentateuch.

Many people, even despite reading the Bible, are of the opinion that woman was created by God only after man and, most importantly, from his rib.

Thus, for two thousand years, people believed that men have fewer ribs. For this reason, woman was considered as a subordinate sex, since she owed her existence to man. In fact, everything is not like that.

Rib Anatomy:

The ribs are articulated with the spine using the costal and vertebral joints;
In front, the ribs are connected to the sternum and have seven, sometimes eight ribs;
The cartilaginous tissue from the eighth to the tenth rib connects with the overlying ones, thus forming the costal arches (false arches);
The last ribs remain free and completely mobile.

Based on all this data, we can safely say that no differences have been identified between women and men. Gender is in no way dependent on the number of ribs.

Fluctuating ribs: possible pathologies and functions of the ribs

Changes in the structure of the chest, which includes deformations from the ribs, can be either acquired or congenital. Sometimes there may be a lack of ribs in various variations.

Defects usually occur in cartilaginous parts ribs, and the deformation may include one or several ribs.

Complete absence of a rib along its entire length is quite rare. Another type of deformation, when a bifurcation of the rib appears, is called Luschka’s fork. There is also sometimes a fusion of several ribs, localized in the cartilaginous tissue.

Other types of deformations:

Giant ribs;
Cervical ribs.

If there is a complete or partial absence of ribs, then against this background chest hernias often develop. In addition, sometimes there is a defect such as extra ribs.

Multiple rib fractures: causes

The most common rib problem is fractures. Most often they occur against the background of strong mechanical impact to the chest area.

Factors leading to fractures:

Collision;
Strong pressure;
Direct hit.

Due to trauma to this area, neighboring areas may be severely damaged. internal organs. Greatest risk damage to nerves and blood vessels located directly in the ribs.

The side surface is most often exposed due to the presence of bending.

Regardless of how serious the injury was, it must be taken into account that the main function of the ribs - to protect - now works much less well. Most often, older people face this problem, due to the fact that the calcium content in the body becomes much lower.

Multiple rib injuries can be:

With the presence of displacement;
The appearance of a crack;
The appearance of debris.

This is usually a consequence of increased fragility bone tissue or nearby others pathological changes in the body. Such diseases should include multiple myeloma and leukemia.

Number of pairs of ribs in a person: diagnosis of diseases

The first signs will be:

Pain in chest when inhaling;
Pain in cervical spine when coughing.

The most dangerous thing for health is bone when open fracture. which may protrude from the wound or under the skin. Less commonly, signs of a regular fracture may include bruising and redness. These symptoms are worth paying attention to if it was preceded by a blow or fall.

During the examination, the doctor examines the patient and palpates the affected area.

In some situations it may be necessary additional examination. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor may order an x-ray, ultrasound examination or puncture.

Fractures and osteosynthesis of ribs: treatment

A rib fracture of any severity requires compulsory treatment in the hospital. If the injury was not severe, then additional fixation will not be required. It is used only when indicated, since chest fixation may increase the risk of developing pneumonia.

Recovery usually occurs within one month after the injury.

This indicator always depends on general condition the health of the victim. During this period, it is forbidden to perform physical efforts. If the fractures were accompanied by complications, then recovery will take a long time.

Sometimes surgery is required:

If there is a displacement of the ribs;
Or a shrapnel got into the chest cavity.

If there was an extensive injury to the chest, then an operation for osteosynthesis of the ribs is performed. Such injuries occur after car accidents or falls from great heights.

If osteoporosis led to fractures, then medicines which promote calcium absorption. Each injury and cause of illness requires a timely approach and individual treatment.

Consultation: how many pairs of ribs does a person have (video)

Before answering the question of how many ribs a person has, it is necessary to define the concept of a rib and define its purpose. A rib is an arched bone that runs from the spine to the chest and forms the rib cage. The chest, in turn, protects against damage soft fabrics, vital important organs human: heart, lungs, liver and others.

The ribs come in pairs, each person has 12 pairs of ribs. The first 7 are called true, the remaining 5 are called false. The lower 4 ribs are called fluctuating ribs - they extend from the spine, but do not close at the sternum. It would seem that the only correct answer to the question of how many ribs a person has is: 24 ribs. However, you can find people who have 13 or 11 pairs of ribs. Sometimes this anomaly is due to congenital features body, and sometimes this is the result surgical intervention. Perhaps someone will be puzzled by the fact that people voluntarily go under the surgeon’s knife, removing part of their skeleton. Women undergo this operation wanting to get a thin waist and narrow their chest. Men - wanting to satisfy themselves orally. It is difficult to judge how justified these changes are, which go against nature itself. After all, no matter how many ribs a person has, there are definitely no extra ribs among them.

Several hundred years ago, when medicine was in its infancy, the exact answer to the question of how many ribs a person has baffled the most advanced healers. They could say one thing with confidence - men should have one less rib than women. After all, the Bible says that God created Adam’s wife from his rib, which means that men have been missing one rib ever since. For many centuries, this fact did not require proof, and enthusiastic doctors who performed autopsies on corpses, trying to get to the truth, were declared heretics and sentenced to death. death penalty. Therefore, the answer to the question of how many pairs of ribs a person has was found only in the 16th century.

The modern interpretation of this biblical passage is slightly different. Church employees no longer refute scientifically proven medical fact that the number of ribs a person has does not depend on his gender. Now they claim that Adam was indeed missing one rib, but this feature could not be passed on by inheritance, just as head injuries, amputated fingers, or a removed appendix cannot be passed on. Thus, religion and medicine today are no longer contradictory.

A rib fracture is one of the most common. Most often, the ribs located in the middle are broken. The lower ones, mobile and flexible, are less likely to come under attack, and the two upper pairs protect humerus and collarbones. Most often, ribs are broken during a fall, in an accident, or in fights. The danger of a fracture also lies in the fact that often, in addition to the ribs, internal organs are hit. A bone fragment can be embedded in a lung or large vessel, causing bleeding. If open injuries ribs can be seen immediately (these are penetrating wounds into the chest due to gunshots or closed damage Only a specialist can diagnose.

Symptoms of a fracture: chest pain, worsening with exhalation, hematomas, rapid shallow breathing, bleeding from the upper respiratory organs And internal bleeding.

Fracture of one in rare cases two ribs, treated at home after a visit to a traumatologist. The doctor does and, in uncomplicated cases, prescribes analgesics, physiotherapeutic procedures and expectorants to the patient. The patient is also prescribed therapeutic exercises to improve lung ventilation and complete rest. The rib heals in about a month if there are no associated injuries. Otherwise, the recovery period may take 2-3 or more months.

How many ribs do a man and a woman have?

The ribs belong to the bony skeleton and form the human chest, which is shaped like a truncated cone, with the base directed downwards. In front, the chest is formed by the sternum, and in front from the sides and behind by twelve pairs of ribs and their cartilages, and behind by the spine.

All ribs articulate with the spine through costovertebral joints. In front, connections with the sternum are only from the first to the seventh ribs (rarely from the first to the eighth). The cartilages of the eighth to tenth ribs are connected to the overlying ones, forming the costal arches, and therefore they are considered false ribs. The eleventh and twelfth ribs, and sometimes the tenth in front, remain free and are designated as mobile or oscillating.

Modern anatomical science has not found any differences between men and women in the number of ribs, that is, gender does not matter in this matter.

Deformations of the chest, which include changes in the ribs, can be either congenital or acquired. Absence of ribs is also found in various options. Typically, the defect most often occurs in the cartilaginous part of the rib, and the deformity may involve one or more ribs. The absence of a rib along its entire length is extremely rare. Another deformation, which is called a malformation of the ribs, is a bifurcation of the rib (fork of Luschka), which sometimes occurs, the fusion of two or more ribs is also localized mainly in the cartilaginous part. Other deformities include giant ribs, and 7% of people have cervical ribs. With full or partial absence one or more ribs or their wide divergence causes hernia of the chest. There are also extra ribs.

The question of the different number of ribs in men and women came to us from the Holy Scriptures, that is, from the Bible. In the Book of the Old Testament, the First Book of Moses, Genesis, chapter 2, verse 22, we read: “... and the Lord God made a woman from a rib taken from a man and brought her to the man...” This verse relates to the history of the creation of the sexes, which was set forth in the Yahwist, that is, in one of the supposed sources of the Pentateuch, from which it should be assumed that all animals received a pair. In another of the sources of the Book of Moses, in the “Priestly Code,” it appears that both sexes were created by God at the same time and God commanded them all: “Be fruitful and multiply.”

However, despite this, the majority of Bible readers supported the option when woman was created after man and, more importantly, even from part of his body! This was a very serious point because it supported the belief that woman is a secondary being, created only as a partner for man, that is, nothing more than his appendage created from a rib and given human form. Thus, since the Bible, for the last two thousand years, women have been viewed as the inferior sex. Sexual reproduction according to modern science dates back at least a billion years, and sexual differences are just as long history. At the same time, neither the male nor the female sex, alas, can boast of primacy. In mammals, the male is usually larger and stronger than the female, and in this sense can apparently show superiority, but this cannot be applied to all species and is not obligatory even among mammals. And in physiological terms, there are much more reasons to believe that it is the female that is the dominant individual. In each human cell, a female individual has forty-six chromosomes, and a male cell has forty-five chromosomes plus a certain ... stump (Y-chromosome). Thus, from this point of view, a man can be considered as an inferior woman...

Exercises for intercostal neuralgia

At least once in their life, almost every person has experienced back pain. To do this, you don’t even need to overexert yourself physically, carrying bags on your back, or work in a quarry. It is enough to sit in the same position at the computer every day. Even when we sit and seem to be doing nothing, many muscles continue to work. They are tense to support the posture, to keep your back straight. On top of everything else in sitting position The load on the spine is higher than in a standing position.

Colitis in the left side under the ribs

Many people often experience sensations such as a tingling sensation in the left side under the ribs. Most often, this symptom is immediately perceived as heart pain. But stabbing pain in the left side can also occur with a number of other diseases.

The rib cage is a very important key part of the human skeleton, which is a powerful rib-shaped ring-shaped frame of a conical shape with two openings at the top and bottom, attached to the sternum in front and to the vertebrae at the back. It protects the chest cavity on all sides, which contains the vital organs of the respiratory and cardiac systems - the heart, lungs, trachea, bronchi, aorta, and other large and small blood vessels, muscles. It is no wonder that the anatomy of the GC by nature provides for the creation necessary conditions For normal functioning all organs chest cavity. Let's take a closer look at the structure of the chest, and also answer the questions eternal question, dating back to the Old Testament: how many ribs does a person have.

Today, even from school, every child knows for sure that people have 12 pairs of ribs in their chest (occasionally - 13), that is, 24 or 26 pieces of ribs, and this figure does not depend on gender, that is, for men and women same amount ribs

But this was not always the case.

Thanks to biblical legends and church prohibitions, which existed in ancient times regarding such a branch of medicine as pathological anatomy, for quite a long time it was believed that a man has one pair of ribs more than a woman. And from this extra pair, the Creator, they say, created Eve.

Despite the threat of being burned at the stake for heresy, some courageous aesculapians of antiquity, in order to learn how to heal correctly, which is impossible without an anatomical atlas, performed autopsies at their own peril and risk. The more autopsies were performed, the more convinced the doctors of those years were that the number of ribs in men and women, as well as their anatomical structure exactly the same, although the female skeleton is more fragile, and the woman’s chest is less voluminous.

To get an answer to something that seems funny today, children's question, many ancient doctors paid with their lives...

Anatomical structure of the chest

So, what do we know today about the chest:

It consists in most cases of 12 pairs of ribs, symmetrically located on both sides of the skeleton (seven pairs on each side).
Some individuals have an additional, extra 13th pair of ribs, which, in memory of the biblical tradition, is called “Adam’s” ribs. Any person (both man and woman) can also have this extra one pair, that is, “Adam’s” ribs are not some kind of male privilege or a sign of some kind of chosenness.
Each adult rib consists of bony flat arched plates approximately 5 mm thick, ending in front with cartilage, and behind with a neck and head covered with cartilage, which enters the costovertebral articulation.
In addition to the costovertebral joint, each rib is attached to the vertebra using the costotransverse joint, which connects the costal tubercle with the transverse process of the vertebra.
In the anterior region, seven pairs of ribs, with the help of cartilage, form an elastic connection with the sternum, which consists of the manubrium, body and xiphoid process. These seven pairs are called true edges.
The first pair of ribs are attached to the manubrium of the sternum by means of synchondrosis (an elastic cartilaginous connection), and the next six pairs are attached by means of flat costosternal joints (symphyses).
The next five (in rare cases six) pairs are not attached to the sternum, so they are called free. Each of the rib pairs, starting from the 8th, forms a soft connective tissue syndesmosis (fusion) with the above pair. The last (12th or 13th) pair is attached only to the muscles.
A child's rib differs from an adult's in that it consists almost entirely of cartilage, so the child's chest is very fragile and vulnerable.
With age, the process of ossification of the rib is completed, and cartilage is preserved only at the ends of the ribs connected to the sternum.
Each rib is covered with thin, hard hyaline cartilage and contains spongy bone tissue inside.
The sternum consists of the outer periosteum, under which lies the red bone marrow.

Functions of the chest

The chest performs three important functions:

Organs are attached to it respiratory muscles the chest cavity, which is why the organs are protected from the threat of displacement during body movements, and the chest itself takes part in breathing (support and respiratory functions).
Thanks to its frame structure, the chest protects the organs in it from all sides from shock, injury, and penetrating damage (protective function).

Of course, the chest cannot provide 100% protection either to the organs or even to itself, so a wide variety of pathologies are possible in it.

Chest pathologies

Fractured ribs

One of the most common pathologies is. A person is at risk of getting this injury mainly when falling from a great height or due to an accident.

Rib fracture - very dangerous injury, as it can lead to damage to the pleura or even the lung itself. In this case, part of the air leaves the lung, and it decreases in volume, the patient experiences symptoms respiratory failure. This lung damage rib fragment is called pneumothorax.

Another possible complication of a rib fracture is hemothorax (accumulation of blood in the pleural cavity).

Rib fracture due to osteoporosis and metastases

The ribs become especially vulnerable during a formidable age-related disease, which, however, can occur not only in the elderly, but also in people with endocrine disorders or as a result of taking certain medicines(for example, corticosteroids, cytostatics), leading to bone resorption.

The rib loses its density, which is clearly visible in a section under a microscope: the distance between bone cells increases, bone structure becomes porous. On an x-ray, the bones and ribs of a patient with osteoporosis become translucent, that is, the rib pattern seems to be obscured, and its boundaries are erased.

Women are especially at risk for osteoporotic rib fractures. Very often, the ribs are the first to respond to cancer, especially breast or lung cancer. In women bone metastases precisely of the osteolytic type, that is, leading to a decrease in density and bone dissolution. X-rays show areas of shading at the sites of metastases.

Rib fractures due to osteoporosis or metastases are possible with the slightest effort (sudden movement, severe cough, turn to the other side).

Costal arthrosis

Rib arthrosis usually occurs against the background. It appears in aching pain, crunching in the chest when moving, subluxations of the ribs, attacks of severe intercostal neuralgia. All these phenomena can be explained simply:

Degenerative processes in cartilage disrupt the congruence of the costovertebral joints and lead to flattening of the costal fossae on the surface of the vertebrae.
The rib begins to come out of the joints, that is, subluxation occurs.
During the movement, spontaneous realignment of the rib may occur, accompanied by a click.
Sometimes a rib gets stuck in an incorrectly displaced position, and it begins to pinch the vertebral nerve passing in the intercostal spaces, which is manifested by attacks severe pain during movements and breathing - intercostal neuralgia.

Due to the large extent of vertebral nerves innervating many areas thoracic, shoulder girdle, upper limbs, epigastric region, intercostal neuralgia can spread to a wide variety of areas: humeroscapular, sternum, diaphragmatic, etc. In this case, it is possible (resembling heart attacks) or false signs gastritis, pancreatitis and other gastrointestinal diseases.

Costal arthrosis and intercostal neuralgia must be differentiated from thoracic osteochondrosis or hernias are quite rare pathologies for the thoracic region.

Costal synostosis

Sometimes splitting of the costal ends, mainly the first two upper pairs of ribs, can occur, causing the gap between them to narrow, and they can even fuse together, forming a synostosis. A defect in a rib may appear on an x-ray as a cavity in the lung. You can distinguish synostosis from a cavitary defect by its displacement during breathing and its absence in the image in the lateral projection.

The disease can cause pinched nerves and severe attacks intercostal neuralgia

Inflammation of the cartilage of the ribs (costochondritis)

This rare pathology (another name is Tietze syndrome) affects in most cases the 4th - 6th pairs of ribs. Tietze syndrome is more common in adolescents, but can also cause unexplained pseudoanginal chest pain in adults, which resemble symptoms of cardiac pathologies. The causes of the pathology are not fully understood. The following can presumably lead to chondritis of the ribs:

frequent physical activity;
chest injuries;
ARVI, accompanied by a severe cough;
injection drug addiction and substance abuse;
infection after chest surgery.

After elimination harmful factors costochondritis usually resolves.

Diagnosis of chest pathologies

Basic diagnostics: external examination, instrumental, and, if necessary, laboratory examination.

During an external examination, the doctor pays attention to the following symptoms:

pain on palpation at the attachment point of the ribs to the sternum and vertebrae;
increased pain when inhaling;
protrusion of the rib outward, or, conversely, the formation of a dent or depression in the chest;
free movement of the rib;
the presence of bruises, wounds and other signs of severe bruising.

The following types of instrumental examinations are carried out:

Radiography.
Densitometry (for osteoporosis)
Scintigraphy, CT or MRI (for metastases, detailed diagnosis of spondyloarthrosis, complex comminuted rib fractures).
Electroneuromyography (for intercostal neuralgia).
Laboratory blood tests (general, biochemical, endocrinological, bacteriological, etc.) are carried out for osteoporosis, osteogenesis disorders, oncological diseases, chondritis of the ribs.

Treatment of chest pathologies

In case of a rib fracture, it is mainly carried out outpatient treatment, with the exception of complicated or multiple fractures. Plaster immobilization of the thoracic region for rib fractures is not done due to the need for constant ventilation of the lungs and the threat of developing pneumonia and pulmonary edema. A tight bandage is simply applied to the area of the broken ribs. Pain-relieving therapy (novocaine or vagosympathetic blockade) is prescribed. physical therapy. For pneumothorax or hemothorax, a puncture is performed to pump out air or blood from the pleural cavity. Treatment of fractures takes on average about a month. In case of complex multiple fractures, rigid fixation is performed in the hospital.
For osteoporotic or metastatic fractures, add complex therapy osteoporosis: part of it is taking either hormonal drugs, or biosphosphonates.
Treatment of costal arthrosis is similar to the treatment of spondyloarthrosis: taking chondroprotectors, manual therapy; Exercise therapy.
Attacks of intercostal neuralgia are treated with standard anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac, Nise, nimesil, etc.).
Rib synostosis, causing seizures radiculopathy and intercostal neuralgia are removed surgically.
Costochondritis is treated depending on its cause: sometimes, for example, after surgery, antibiotics are needed, but in other cases, NSAIDs are mainly used, combined use steroid hormones and anesthetics. physiotherapy methods