US Medical Term · anatomy
Rib Cage
Caja torácica
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Rib Cage |
| Spanish (Español) | Caja torácica |
| Chinese (中文) | 胸廓 |
| Korean (한국어) | 흉곽 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Lồng ngực |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Tadyang |
| Portuguese (Português) | Caixa torácica |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | กรงซี่โครง |
| Japanese (日本語) | 胸郭 |
What it means
The rib cage is the bony structure that surrounds and protects the heart, lungs, and other organs in the chest. It is made up of twelve pairs of curved ribs that attach to the spine at the back and, for the upper ten pairs, connect to the sternum at the front through cartilage. The lower two pairs — the floating ribs — do not attach to the sternum. Together the ribs form a protective cage around the vital chest organs. Rib fractures are common injuries from falls, car accidents, or chest trauma. Because the ribs move with every breath, a broken rib is very painful and can make breathing and coughing difficult. Multiple broken ribs can sometimes puncture a lung.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I fell and the X-ray shows I have a broken rib on the left side of my rib cage.
Me caí y la radiografía muestra que tengo una costilla rota en el lado izquierdo de la caja torácica.
My rib cage pain makes it hard to take a deep breath or cough.
El dolor en la caja torácica me dificulta respirar profundo o toser.
The CT showed that the tumor is pressing on the inside of my rib cage.
La tomografía mostró que el tumor está presionando el interior de la caja torácica.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026