BoneIrregular bone
Eighth costal cartilage
Cartilago costalis VIII sinistra
- Location:
- Thorax — lower
- Paired structure: one on the left and one on the right side of the body.
Function
First false-rib cartilage, climbing to join the margin's shared bar and shielding the spleen's lower pole.
Landmarks
- Joins the chondral bar
Articulations (joints)
- Eighth rib
- Seventh costal cartilage (indirect)
Clinical relevance
Kehr's sign — left shoulder pain from splenic irritation — arises when blood touches the diaphragm this cartilage borders.
Educational anatomy reference, not medical advice. About this content.