CT Bony Thorax - Video Lesson

Hey, everybody. Welcome back. This lesson is about the bony thorax as seen in CT imaging. We'll start with a volume rendered image. This is a volume rendered CT image of the bony thorax. The three d rendering parameters were set to display just the bone. That's why no soft tissues are visible. The bony thorax, also called the thoracic cage, refers to the skeletal structures that encase and protect the heart and lungs. Most of the bony thorax is formed by twelve pairs of ribs. This is rib number three on the left side. The ribs protect the thoracic organs, but also play a key role in respiration by expanding and contracting to facilitate breathing. The ribs articulate with the thoracic vertebrae posteriorly. Ten of the rib pairs articulate with the sternum anteriorly by way of the costal cartilage. The sternum is this elongated, flattened bone forming the middle portion of the anterior thoracic