Behind the sternum ","where is the xiphoid process? "

The posterior sternum refers to the back of the middle bone in the chest. The sternum is the bone in the middle of the chest, like a small sword from top to bottom, with left and right ribs on both sides. This is the normal anatomical position behind the sternum.

The xiphoid process is the lowest part of the sternum, and below the xiphoid process is the part of the digestive system, including the stomach, heart and liver.

Extended data

There are two types of connection between xiphoid process and sternum body, namely bony connection and cartilaginous connection.

Childhood is cartilaginous connection, and adulthood is cartilaginous connection, and only a few people have bony connection. Some studies have found that the bone peak can be seen protruding forward at the junction of xiphoid process and sternum, which is easy to touch on the body surface.

Distribution of blood vessels in xiphoid region

The internal thoracic artery is located behind the upper 6 costal cartilage and intercostal muscle, followed by transverse thoracic muscle and intrathoracic fascia. Internal thoracic artery with two veins.

Along the lateral edge of the sternum, it drops linearly at about 1cm, and there are many branches along the way. The more important is the pericardial septal artery, which is distributed in the pericardium and diaphragm.

The small xiphoid process branches are distributed at the xiphoid process and the upper end of rectus abdominis in the fifth intercostal space, and the main branch divides into two terminal branches from the sixth intercostal space, namely the superior epigastric artery and the muscular septal artery.

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