15 - Bifurcated Ribs: Case Report

Poster Board Number: 15
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Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Abstract Body : Introduction and Objective
Bifurcated rib(s) is a congenital rib anomaly consisting of one or more ribs that are cleaved in two at the sternal end - the cartilaginous end of the rib that inserts at the sternum. This is a relatively rare anomaly accounting for approximately 20% of congenital rib variations with a prevalence of just 0.15-3.4%. It is commonly found unilaterally in males on the right third or fourth rib.

Materials and Methods
Routine dissections were performed on 21 donors at the gross anatomy lab of Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. Out of these 21 donors, one female cadaver was noted to have a rib bifurcation.

Results
This bifurcation was present on the right third rib at the costochondral joint. It fuses at the sternal body forming a circular intercostal space occupied by internal intercostal muscles and an external intercostal membrane.

Conclusion
In this study of anatomy lab donors, the hypothesis of the rarity of a bifid rib was supported. Out of the 21 donors in the lab, only one donor or 4.7% of the donors presented with the rare abnormality of a bifid rib.

Significance/Implication
Although this particular anomaly is frequently asymptomatic, understanding this variation is extremely important for clinicians. Such knowledge can be useful during imaging, or during differential diagnosis of other diseases, such as chest wall injuries.