Sternum

Sternum is the flat bone in the chest.

Location of the sternum

The sternum is a midline chest bone to which the first six ribs are attached. The other ribs are floating.

Structure of the sternum

The sternum is a flat symmetrical bone with three main parts:

• the manubrium, which forms the upper part of the sternum and is attached to the clavicles and first pair of ribs;
• the body of the sternum to which the next five ribs are attached;
• and the xyphoid process which ends in a point at the bottom of the sternum.

Function of the sternum

The function of the sternum is to strengthen the ribs and act as an attachment site for intercostal muscles.