Unless there are accidents or birth defects, human beings have twenty-four ribs. This is so, for both men and women, although it has been repeated many times that Eve came out of Adam’s rib and that suggests that men have fewer ribs than women. It is actually a rarity for a human to have fewer ribs, and typically there are fourteen true, six false, and four floating ribs.
For different reasons related to weight, posture or simply genetic causes, the ribs can open and can look as if they are protruding. In FastlyHealyou will be able to know a little more about why I have the ribs left.
Table of Contents
The function of the ribs
The ribs are an important part of the bone structure of the human being. It is a series of long flat bones in the shape of an arch that gives the volume of the rib cage since they join the back of the spine and in front they join the sternum. In this way, a kind of cage is formed that serves to protect soft organs , such as the heart, lungs and liver.
The rib cage of all human beings, with rare exceptions, is made up of twelve pairs of ribs, that is, a total of twenty-four. These are classified from top to bottom into:
- Sternal, superior or true: they are the first seven pairs of ribs that are directly attached to the sternum.
- Asternal, inferior or false: they are the next three pairs of ribs and are not articulated directly with the sternum but between them.
- Floating: they are the last two pairs of ribs, which are only attached to the spinal column but are loose in the front.
The ribs are more important than many might think. In fact, some experiments have shown that the ribs are the only human bone that manages to regenerate on its own if the section of the bone called the perichondrium is maintained. In the cases where the researchers removed the perichondrium, the ribs could not regenerate. According to the National Scoliosis Foundation [1] a rib can fully regenerate in two to three months.
Why do my ribs come out
All the ribs are important as even the floating ribs are there to protect vital organs. However, it has become common to think that since the floating ribs are not anchored to the sternum, they do not fulfill any important function in the body. Undoubtedly, these also have a protective function of certain vital organs that if these ribs are removed they would be exposed to possible trauma.
On the other hand, the floating ribs are not really free, in fact, they are linked to certain muscles of the diaphragm that allow breathing and others of the abdomen that contribute to the movement of the torso and are even useful when lifting things. But sometimes these ribs appear to be protruding or pointing out . In some cases this is due to:
- Changes in body weight
- Pregnancies
- Pass of the time.
- Bad postures.
- Hereditary factors.
In reality, having your ribs protruded, unless it causes pain, as is the case in certain cases, is not a medical condition . Rather, it leads us to aesthetic considerations in most cases. Especially because it affects the appearance of women, causing their silhouette to widen just at the waist where the floating ribs are located.
How to close the floating ribs
Having ribs pulled out is not necessarily a medical condition. It may simply be a particular characteristic of the person and generally has no impact on their health. However, if you want to change that aspect of yourself, there are some recommendations that you can take into account.
In certain cases, starting from the principle that floating ribs are useless vestiges, some women resort to very drastic practices such as surgical operations. These surgeries allow the floating ribs to be removed to make way for a thinner or wasp waist. However, it is not such a simple and effective operation because the floating ribs, although they are not anchored to the sternum, are anchored to certain muscles as we have already mentioned.
Floating rib chiropractic
In other cases, chiropractic may be a more natural option to help improve the appearance of protruding ribs. Generally it applies the quiropraxia to treat postural problems, muscle spasms and back pain caused by scoliosis , among others. Recently, this ancient practice has been given aesthetic uses, as in the case of floating ribs , which are treated to obtain a thinner waist.
In any case, it never hurts to eat healthy and exercise to maintain a slim figure and help both the muscles and the ribs to develop harmoniously. Sometimes wearing a corset can also help, especially after certain surgeries or after pregnancies while everything returns to its place inside the abdomen.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why do I have ribs left , we recommend that you enter our Bones, Joints and Muscles category .
Referencias
https://www.scoliosis.org/resources/medicalupdates/ribthoracoplasty.php
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.