Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX USA) Practice

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Prepare for the COMLEX-USA with quizzes featuring flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Gear up for your osteopathic medicine exam!

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What is a common characteristic of floating ribs?

  1. They attach directly to the sternum

  2. They are not connected to the sternum or cartilage

  3. They are the longest ribs

  4. They connect via fibrous tissue

The correct answer is: They are not connected to the sternum or cartilage

Floating ribs are defined by their unique anatomical feature of not having any connection to the sternum or even to the costal cartilage of other ribs. Typically, there are two pairs of floating ribs in the human rib cage—ribs 11 and 12. Unlike the other ribs that articulate with the sternum through costal cartilage, floating ribs end in muscle and do not contribute to the anterior rib cage structure. This characteristic gives them their name, as they are essentially "floating" in the abdominal musculature without a bony connection to the sternum. While other ribs connect directly to the sternum or have connections via cartilage, floating ribs are distinct in their lack of such connections, making their classification and understanding crucial in anatomy and clinical assessments.

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