Sternal angle - wikipedia Sternal angle Sternal angle Lateral border of sternum Anterior surface of sternum and costal cartilages. ( Sternal angle not labeled, but visible at second costal cartilage. ) Details Identifiers Latin angulus sterni, angulus sternalis TA A02. 3.03. 005 FMA 7547 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) The sternal angle ( also known as the angle of Louis or manubriosternal junction ) is the synarthrotic joint formed by the articulation of the manubrium and the body of the sternum. The sternal angle is a palpable clinical landmark in surface anatomy. Contents 1 Anatomy 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Anatomy The sternal angle, which varies around 162 degrees in males, marks the approximate level of the 2nd pair of costal cartilages, which attach to the second ribs, and the level of the intervertebral disc between T4 and T5. In clinical applications, the sternal angle can be palpated at the T4 vertebral level. The sternal angle is used in the definition of the thoracic plane. This marks the level of a number of other anatomical structures : show Structures at the level of the thoracic plane edit The start and end of the aortic arch The division between the superior and inferior mediastinum The upper margin of the superior vena cava The crossing of the thoracic duct The bifurcation of the trachea The bifurcation of the pulmonary trunk The level of the sternal angle The level of Rib 2 where it attaches to the sternum via the 3nd costal cartilage The body of vertebrae T4 ( the disc between the vertebrae T4 and T5 ) The drainage of the azygos vein into the superior vena cava Thymus gland ( in some cases ) The angle also marks a number of other features : Carina of the trachea is deep to the sternal angle Passage of the thoracic duct from right to left behind esophagus Ligamentum arteriosum Loop of left recurrent laryngeal nerve around aortic arch The angle is in the form of a secondary cartilaginous joint ( symphysis ). This is where the 2nd rib joins with the sternum. A clinically useful feature of the ( manubriosternal ) joint is that it can be palpated easily. This is because the manubrium normally angles posteriorly on the body of the sternum, forming a raised feature referred to as the sternal angle. History The sternal angle is also called the angle of Louis, but the reason for that name was lost. Once thought to be after Antoine Louis or Wilhelm Friedrich von Ludwig, it is now believed to be after Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis. See also Thoracic plane List of medical mnemonics References Jump up ^ Dalley, Arthur F. ; Moore, Keith L. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Hagerstown, MD : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 0 - 7817 - 5936 - 6. ^ Jump up to : Wilson, Herbert H. Srebnik ; illustrations by Genevieve M. ( 2002 ). Concepts in anatomy. Boston : Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 70. ISBN 0792375394. Jump up ^ Susan Standring ; Neil R. Borley ; et al., eds. ( 2008 ). `` Chapter 54 : Chest wall and breast ''. Gray 's anatomy : the anatomical basis of clinical practice ( 40th ed. ). London : Churchill Livingstone. p. 922. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8089 - 2371 - 8. Jump up ^ Arai et al. Radiographic landmarks of the upper margin of the superior vena cava ( SVC ) in children Canadian Journal of Anesthesia 49 ( Supplement 1 ) : 32 Jump up ^ Viscera of the Thorax UAMS Department of Anatomy Jump up ^ Alberto Coscione, L. Dixon, H. Ellis ( 2013 ). `` The `` Angle of Louis '' '' ( PDF ). Eur. J. Anat. 17 ( 3 ) : 190 -- 192. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) External links Anatomy photo : 18 : st - 0212 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - `` Thoracic Wall : Bones '' Bones of torso Vertebrae General structure Body Arch pedicle lamina notch Vertebral foramen Intervertebral foramen Processes transverse articular spinous Spinal canal Cervical vertebrae Uncinate process of vertebra Transverse foramen Anterior tubercle Carotid tubercle Posterior tubercle Atlas lateral mass anterior arch posterior arch Axis dens Vertebra prominens Thoracic vertebrae Costal facets superior inferior transverse Uncinate process of vertebra Lumbar vertebrae Processes accessory mammillary Sacrum Base sacral promontory Ala of sacrum Lateral surface sacral tuberosity Pelvic surface anterior sacral foramina Dorsal surface posterior sacral foramina Median sacral crest Medial sacral crest Lateral sacral crest Sacral canal sacral hiatus Coccyx none Thorax Rib cage Ribs true ribs false ribs floating ribs Parts angle tubercle costal groove neck head Sternum Suprasternal notch Manubrium Sternal angle Body of sternum Xiphisternal joint Xiphoid process Thoracic cage Thoracic inlet Thoracic outlet Intercostal space Costal margin Infrasternal angle Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sternal_angle&oldid=825192556 '' Categories : Bones of the thorax Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা Français Polski Português Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 12 February 2018, at 00 : 29 ( UTC ). 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Question: which pair of ribs articulates with the sternum at the sternal angle
Answer: the second ribs