156 ANATOMY OF UPPER EXTREMITY, ETC, 



DISSECTION X. 



LIGAMENTS OF THE RIBS, SPINE, AND UPPER EXTREMITY. 



To dissect the ligaments, all the fleshy part of muscles surrounding 

 the joints must be removed ; the tendinous insertions are to be left, 

 as in many instances they enter largely into the formation of the 

 articulations ; the cellular and all other extraneous tissues are to be 

 cleared away, so that nothing shall be left to obscure the pearly aspect 

 which these parts present when properly dissected. Ligatnentous pre- 

 parations are capable of very brilliant display, and, though requiring 

 much patience, are extremely interesting to make. 



A piece of the spinal column, with three or four ribs at- 

 tached, furnishes the means of examining the COSTO-VER- 

 TEBRAL and VERTEBRAL ARTICULATIONS. 



The ribs are attached to the vertebrae b}^ two groups of 

 ligaments ; one extending from the head of the rib to the 

 bodies of the vertebrae, and the other from the tubercle of 

 the rib to the transverse processes. 



The head of the rib, except that of the first, eleventh, and 

 twelfth ribs, is received in a hollow on the sides of the 

 bodies of two contiguous vertebrae, and is held in place by 

 the stellate ligament, which passes from it to the vertebra in 

 a radiated manner, and in those ribs connected with two 

 vertebrae consists of three distinct portions, one for the 

 superior, and one for the inferior vertebra, and a central 

 portion to the inter-vertebral fibro-cartilage. 



The inter-articular ligament can only be seen by a vertical section, 

 which shall include the bodies of the contiguous vertebrae, and the 

 neck of the rib. 



The inter-articular ligament is a short, thin band attached 

 on the one side to the ridge which separates the head of 

 the rib into two articulating surfaces, and on the other, to 

 the inter-vertebral fibro-cartilage; it divides the joint into 

 two cavities, each furnished with a synovial sac ; the first, 

 eleventh, and twelfth ribs have no inter-articular ligament, 

 and consequently but one synovial sac. 



The costo-transverse ligament extends from the neck and 

 tubercle of the rib to the transverse process of the ver- 

 tebra ; the anterior ascends from the upper border of the 

 neck of the rib to the lower border of the transverse 

 process of the upper of the two vertebrae with which it is 

 connected ; it is necessarily wanting in the first rib. 



