Thanks for the information...
I'm only 17 so I don't believe it's anything to do with age. But I have a bump that's about an inch in diameter right beneath where my collar bone meets. It's hard and feels like home. And I don't believe it's been necessarily growing but it has been discomforting. Not sure if it's the same thing, but my NP I see said it's either just bone growth or calcium deposit and not to worry about it.
InnerBody
Home
Anatomy Systems
Popular Body Regions
More
Tour
Home Skeletal System Bones of the Chest and Upper Back Sternum
The sternum, commonly known as the breastbone, is a long, narrow flat bone that serves as the keystone of the rib cage and stabilizes the thoracic skeleton. Several muscles that move the arms, head, and neck have their origins on the sternum. It also protects several vital organs of the chest, such as the heart, aorta, vena cava, and thymus gland that are located just deep to the sternum.
The sternum is located along the body’s midline in the anterior thoracic region just deep to the skin. It is a flat bone about six inches in length, around an inch wide, and only a fraction of an inch thick....
Click to read more below
Anatomy Explorer
Body of Sternum
Bones of the Head and Neck
Clavicle
Costal Cartilage
Costoclavicular Ligament
False Ribs
Interclavicular Ligament
Jugular Notch of Sternum
Manubrium of Sternum
Radiate Ligaments
Shoulder Joint
Spine of Scapula
Sternum
Supraspinous Ligament
True Ribs
Xiphoid Process of Sternum
2D Interactive
3D Rotate & Zoom
Change Anatomical System
Change View Angle
Full Sternum Description
[Continued from above] . . . The sternum develops as three distinct parts: the manubrium, the body of the sternum (sometimes called the gladiolus), and the xiphoid process. The shape of the sternum looks somewhat like a sword pointing downwards, with the manubrium forming the handle, the body forming the blade, and the xiphoid process forming the tip. In fact, the name manubrium means “handle,” gladiolus means “sword,” and xiphoid means “sword-shaped.”
The manubrium is the widest and most superior region of the sternum. It forms joints with the clavicles and the first and second pairs of ribs through their costal cartilages. The clavicles meet the manubrium at the concave clavicular notches to form the sternoclavicular joint, the only point of skeletal attachment between the pectoral girdle of the shoulder and the axial skeleton of the thorax. Slight indentations on the lateral sides of the manubrium provide attachment points for the costal cartilages of the ribs. At its inferior end, the manubrium meets the body of the sternum at the joint with the costal cartilage of the second ribs. Here it forms the sternal angle, a slight posterior bend in the sternum that can be felt through the skin and serves as an important anatomical landmark in the medical profession. Several important muscles attach via tendons to the manubrium, including the sternocleidomastoid, pectoralis major, sternohyoid, and sternothyroid muscles.
The body of the sternum is the longest region of the sternum and is roughly rectangular in shape. The costal cartilages of the second through tenth ribs connect to the body of the sternum to form the bulk of the rib cage. Just like in the manubrium, slight concave indentations in the lateral sides of the body of the sternum provide stronger attachment points for the costal cartilages to prevent rib separation. In addition, the powerful pectoralis major muscles that adduct and flex the humerus at the shoulder attach to the anterior surface of the body of the sternum and manubrium.
The smallest and most inferior region of the sternum, the xiphoid process, begins life as a region of flexible hyaline cartilage attached to the end of the body of the sternum. The xiphoid process slowly ossifies throughout childhood and adulthood until around age 40 when all of its cartilage is replaced by bone. Regardless of its degree of ossification, the xiphoid process serves as an important attachment point for the tendons of the diaphragm, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis muscles.
Several undesired events can take place at the sternum. During open heart surgery, the sternum must be cut in half along its long axis to provide access to the heart. After surgery, the two halves of the sternum must be wired back together with stainless steel wire to prevent their separation. Any extreme stresses placed on the broken sternum after surgery, such as lifting heavy objects, can result in the wires cutting through the bony tissue and severely damaging the sternum. Another risk associated with the sternum is the fracturing of the xiphoid process during CPR, which can potentially lead to the xiphoid process breaking off and lodging into one of the delicate vital organs below it.
Prepared by Tim Taylor, Anatomy and Physiology Instructor
Home
Anatomy Systems
Popular Body Regions
More
Tour
Home Skeletal System Bones of the Chest and Upper Back Sternum
The sternum, commonly known as the breastbone, is a long, narrow flat bone that serves as the keystone of the rib cage and stabilizes the thoracic skeleton. Several muscles that move the arms, head, and neck have their origins on the sternum. It also protects several vital organs of the chest, such as the heart, aorta, vena cava, and thymus gland that are located just deep to the sternum.
The sternum is located along the body’s midline in the anterior thoracic region just deep to the skin. It is a flat bone about six inches in length, around an inch wide, and only a fraction of an inch thick....
Click to read more below
Anatomy Explorer
Body of Sternum
Bones of the Head and Neck
Clavicle
Costal Cartilage
Costoclavicular Ligament
False Ribs
Interclavicular Ligament
Jugular Notch of Sternum
Manubrium of Sternum
Radiate Ligaments
Shoulder Joint
Spine of Scapula
Sternum
Supraspinous Ligament
True Ribs
Xiphoid Process of Sternum
2D Interactive
3D Rotate & Zoom
Change Anatomical System
Change View Angle
Full Sternum Description
[Continued from above] . . . The sternum develops as three distinct parts: the manubrium, the body of the sternum (sometimes called the gladiolus), and the xiphoid process. The shape of the sternum looks somewhat like a sword pointing downwards, with the manubrium forming the handle, the body forming the blade, and the xiphoid process forming the tip. In fact, the name manubrium means “handle,” gladiolus means “sword,” and xiphoid means “sword-shaped.”
The manubrium is the widest and most superior region of the sternum. It forms joints with the clavicles and the first and second pairs of ribs through their costal cartilages. The clavicles meet the manubrium at the concave clavicular notches to form the sternoclavicular joint, the only point of skeletal attachment between the pectoral girdle of the shoulder and the axial skeleton of the thorax. Slight indentations on the lateral sides of the manubrium provide attachment points for the costal cartilages of the ribs. At its inferior end, the manubrium meets the body of the sternum at the joint with the costal cartilage of the second ribs. Here it forms the sternal angle, a slight posterior bend in the sternum that can be felt through the skin and serves as an important anatomical landmark in the medical profession. Several important muscles attach via tendons to the manubrium, including the sternocleidomastoid, pectoralis major, sternohyoid, and sternothyroid muscles.
The body of the sternum is the longest region of the sternum and is roughly rectangular in shape. The costal cartilages of the second through tenth ribs connect to the body of the sternum to form the bulk of the rib cage. Just like in the manubrium, slight concave indentations in the lateral sides of the body of the sternum provide stronger attachment points for the costal cartilages to prevent rib separation. In addition, the powerful pectoralis major muscles that adduct and flex the humerus at the shoulder attach to the anterior surface of the body of the sternum and manubrium.
The smallest and most inferior region of the sternum, the xiphoid process, begins life as a region of flexible hyaline cartilage attached to the end of the body of the sternum. The xiphoid process slowly ossifies throughout childhood and adulthood until around age 40 when all of its cartilage is replaced by bone. Regardless of its degree of ossification, the xiphoid process serves as an important attachment point for the tendons of the diaphragm, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis muscles.
Several undesired events can take place at the sternum. During open heart surgery, the sternum must be cut in half along its long axis to provide access to the heart. After surgery, the two halves of the sternum must be wired back together with stainless steel wire to prevent their separation. Any extreme stresses placed on the broken sternum after surgery, such as lifting heavy objects, can result in the wires cutting through the bony tissue and severely damaging the sternum. Another risk associated with the sternum is the fracturing of the xiphoid process during CPR, which can potentially lead to the xiphoid process breaking off and lodging into one of the delicate vital organs below it.
Prepared by Tim Taylor, Anatomy and Physiology Instructor
Thanks. This must be what I have. I'm 52 and have been noticing it lately. It's either because I'm losing weight or the bone ossifcation process. Sounds like nothing to be concerned about, just a noticeable bump. My prayers and thoughts go out to all others in discomfort or pain.
Have the same on my left side had xrays about 3 months ago showed nothing but now is bigger and my whole left side hurts went yesterday to doc and they said it is a cartilage ball between my ribs said it is uncommon so they are gona set me up with orthopedic to see about getting injections or haven it removed dont know how thats gona work.He was actually stumpted on what to do about it and how to treat it hope this helps
What a lot of scaremongering nonsense! It's called the zyphoid process and we all have it. It's the lowest part of the sternum. It can become more pronounced after pregnancy.
Thank you for the exact information I needed, I had recently lost 40 pounds and was worried when I felt the lump.
I am 23yr Male also have the same thing right between the upper part of my rib cage big ball lump noticed it while I was laying down few months ago, it's grown since not sure if I should be worried
Hello there, I am 42 and had it for around 5-10 years and it had just started to get bigger !!!
I have the same thing and the doctor told me it's not cancerous and not to worry I also have thought before that it could've grown but I think it's more likely that it can just look larger in certain positions like laying on your back because that's when it looks larger for me also. Luckily the doctor said it is unlikely that it will get larger
I know exactly what you're referring to but this is completely different I have a mass that feels like bone that causes a visual lump on the left side of my sternum connecting down to about where the xyphoid process is but this condition is different
Based on a lot of the replys it seems like most people first notice the bump after weight loss I first noticed mine 4 years ago just after I had lost 20 pounds
Isn't that what the internet is best suited for --- scaremongering?
I can't believe the number of people who are not aware of that little clicky thing. I remember learning about it from our phys-ed teacher in junior high. I think that's about the time anyway. That would have been in the early 50s for me. Maybe they don't teach any of that stuff anymore. It was kind of fun to lean back in a chair at home and suck in my belly to make it click in, then let it click out. At first it was a tiny thing like a small arrow head but it grew bigger as I got older until it wasn't fun to click it anymore as it was a little uncomfortable. After they sawed me up the middle for bypass surgery it healed back together kind of solid and out of place so now it hurts like h3ll if I push on it or lean against it. I can't sleep on my belly now.
I have almost daily pain in the lower part of my left lower rib cage (floating ribs) sometimes worse than others, doctor didn't seemed concerned with it. what could it be? The pain is more often than before a couple years ago. I have had xrays -nothingI also have bowel problems--- one day unable to go and other times way too much.
I am also searching for a response found mine last night, help!