64 



TOPOGRAPHICAL ANATOMY OF THE 



provided with a joint capsule which encloses two joiut-cavities corre- 

 sponding to the two vertebral bodies with which the head of the rib 

 articulates, and separated from each other by an interarticular ligament 

 to which the joint capsule is attached. The interarticular ligament 

 (ligamentum capituli costa? interarticulare) springs from the rough 

 depression on the head of the rib, and passes between the bodies of the 

 vertebrae to the median plane, where it is continuous with the corre- 

 sponding ligament of the opposite side. The union of the ligaments 

 from opposite sides of the body occurs under cover of the dorsal 

 longitudinal ligament of the vertebral column. Here, also, some fibres 

 of the interarticular ligament are attached to the vertebral bodies and 



Lig. interspinale. 

 Spinous process of vertebra. 1 Lig. supraspinale. 



Transverse process -^ 

 of vertebra. 



Mm. levatores - 

 costarum. 



M. inlercostalis - 

 externus. 



Lig. colli costae. 



Lig. 



costotransversarium 

 dorsale. 



'■A. intercostalis. 

 N. intercostalis. 



--/-- M. intercostalis internus. 



Fig. 27. — Costo-vertebral articulations, with associated structures. 



l = a muscular branch of the dorsal ramus of a thoracic nerve. 

 2 = dorsal cutaneous nerve. 



the intervertebral fibro-cartilage. The first rib is not provided with an 

 interarticular ligament. A radiate ligavient (ligamentum capituli 

 costae radiatum) is present on the ventral aspect of the joint. Its fibres 

 pass from the neck of the rib, in a slightly divergent manner, to the 

 bodies of the vertebrae and the interposed fibro-cartilage. 



(2) The costo-transverse articulation (articulatio costotransversaria), 

 between the tubercle of the rib and the transverse process of the 

 vertebra, has a joint capsule enclosing its joint-cavity. A dorsal 



