Thoracic wall

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Definition

As the name suggests, the thoracic wall, is the wall of the thorax.

Contents

The thoracic wall consists of the skin, fat, muscles, bones, and other tissues that form the thorax.

About the thorax

The thorax is the protective structure around vital organs in the area between the neck and the abdomen, including the heart, major blood vessels, lungs, and liver.

Bones of the chest

The bones in the chest wall include the ribs, sternum (also called breastbone), and spine.

Function

In addition to providing a very important protective cover around some of the most vital organs such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels etc. the chest wall also helps support breathing and movement of the upper arms and shoulders.

CT cross section, normal chest

Muscles

The intercostal muscles are located in spaces between the ribs. They contract during forced expiration. External intercostal muscles contract to elevate the ribs during the inspiration phase of breathing. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that forms a partition between the thorax and the abdomen. It has three openings in it for structures that have to pass from the thorax to the abdomen.

Blood supply

The thoracic wall is supplied by branches of:

1. the subclavian artery
2. the axillary artery, and
3. the aorta with their posterior intercostal and subcostal arteries.

Nerve supply

The 12 thoracic nerves or spinal nerves with their dorsal and a ventral rami supply the wall including the intercostal muscles, skin, blood vessels etc.

Common problems

• Common thoracic wall injuries include bruising or abrasions such as cuts etc to the chest area
• Broken ribs, sternum or vertebrae
• If the injuries are more serious, it can lead to damage to the lungs or heart

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Thoracic wall on Wikipedia

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