The rare skeletal variation of the congenital bifid rib

Abstract

A bifid rib is a congenital anomaly of the thoracic wall, being presented most commonly unilateral with a higher incidence among male individuals. We present a case of a 4th right rib, unearthed during an educational study of the donated cadavers in the Anatomy Department of the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. We have studied 251 skeletons, resulting at an incidence of only 0.4%.

Keywords

• bifurcated rib
• intercostal space
• thoracic wall
• Gorlin-Goltz
• anatomy variations