Rib cage
The rib cage is the arrangement of ribs attached to the vertebral column and sternum in the thorax of most vertebrates, that encloses and protects the heart and lungs. In humans, the rib cage, also known as the thoracic cage, is a bony and cartilaginous structure which surrounds the thoracic cavity and supports the shoulder girdle to form the core part of the human skeleton. A typical human rib cage consists of 24 ribs in 12 pairs, the sternum and xiphoid process, the costal cartilages, and the 12 thoracic vertebrae.
Bucket handle movement
One of the most important functions of ribs and diaphragm is the change in volume of thorax that helps inspiration and expiration. In general, the ribs move around two axes. As the anterior end of ribs is about 4 cm lower than the posterior end, the middle part of rib is lower than anterior and posterior ends. Movement at costovertebral joints 7 to 10 about an anteroposterior axis results in raising and lowering the middle of the rib, the Bucket-handle movement. In elevation, this increases the transverse diameter of the thorax.