Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: neilep on 20/06/2008 00:54:54
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Dear Ribologosts !
See My rib cage ?
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Nice eh ?...being delivered next Tuesday !
Gonna stick a lamp inside it !..or maybe a candle !!
I heard that there is a condition that means that the recipient has an extra set of ribs !!...what's that all about ?...any advantage ?....disadvantage ?....Did I hear right ?
Stick some on the BBQ and let me know will ya ?
Ribfully Yours
neil
Frog Impersonator " Rib-Bit....Rib-Bit "
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mwah mwah mwah mwah
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A cervical rib is a supernumerary (or extra) rib which arises from the seventh cervical vertebra. It is a congenital abnormality located above the normal first rib. A cervical rib is present in only about 1 in 200 (0.5%) of people; in even rarer cases, an individual may have not one but two cervical ribs.
Associated conditions
The presence of a cervical rib can cause a form of thoracic outlet syndrome due to compression of the lower trunk of the brachial plexus or subclavian artery. These structures are entrapped between the cervical rib and scalenus muscle.
Compression of the brachial plexus may be identified by weakness of the muscles around the muscles in the hand, near the base of the thumb. Compression of the subclavian artery is often diagnosed by finding a positive Adson's sign on examination, where the radial pulse in the arm is lost during abduction and external rotation of the shoulder.
Children born with cervical ribs develop early childhood cancer at a rate 125 times higher than the general population. The Hox genes that control the development of cervical vertebrae are believed to play a role in suppressing cancer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_rib
Bony spurs can grow from neck vertebrae, but they are not true ribs...
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-vertebral-spurring.htm