Bifid ribs: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Bifid or bifurcated ribs are a rare anatomical anomaly that accounts for approximately 28% of known rib abnormalities. Bifurcation always occurs at the sternal end of the rib and its two extremities are joined to a bifid costal cartilage. The presence of bifid rib is frequently accompanied by other anomalies, although this does not necessarily imply that it cannot occur as an isolated anomaly. The clinical significance of the latter has not been established. There have not been many studiesdone to investigate bifid rib closely aside from individual case reports, presumably due to the condition’s extremely low incidence. However the detection of bifid ribs, though mostly incidental, has been proven advantageous for an early and wellrounded diagnosis It has also revealed significant preventive benefits especially in the pediatric patient population. This review is written to provide a comprehensive summary of what is known about bifid ribs and incorporate substantial findings from clinical cases that have been reported in past literature.

Keywords

• anatomy
• bone
• developmental
• embryology
• thorax
• variation

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