On the island of Thasos, which lies close to the north shore of the Aegean Sea, archaeologists recovered dozens of burials dating to the Greek Hellenistic period, or 4th to 1st centuries BC. One ...

Each of your ribs is connected to your breastbone by a piece of cartilage. The point where your rib connects to this cartilage is known as your costochondral joint. Costochondral separation is an ...

The xiphoid process is the smallest region of the sternum, or breastbone. It’s made up of cartilage at birth but develops into bone in adulthood. It’s located where the lower ribs attach to the ...

An innovative method is being used to repair the breastbone after it is intentionally broken to provide access to the heart during open-heart surgery. The technique uses a state-of-the-art adhesive ...

Pectus carinatum is a rare chest wall deformity that causes the breastbone to push outward instead of being flush against the chest. It is also known as pigeon chest or keel chest. When the chest wall ...

Pectus excavatum is a developmental issue with the chest in which the sternum or breastbone caves inward and creates a sunken appearance. It is also known as cobbler’s chest or funnel chest. Pectus ...