DENVER â This month, Kaiser Permanente Colorado launches a PPO (preferred provider organization) suite of products as part of its expanded product portfolio for large businesses. Denver/Boulder employers with more than 50 employees can now choose coverage from three suites of products, HMO, PPO and POS insurance plans.
Xiphoid Process Pain â Anatomy, Causes and Treatment. The xiphoid process, also called xiphosternum and metasternum, lies at the level of 10th thoracic vertebrae. It is also the lowest and the smallest part of the sternum, marks the lower limit of the thoracic cavity and the lower border of the heart. At birth, the xiphoid process is cartilaginous, but it slowly ossifies (turns to bone) from the central core after middle age (usually around 40 years of age).
Technically, the body of the sternum is called the breast bone, located below the manubrium. The xiphoid process is a small, smooth cartilagenous substance that petrifies by the time a person reaches 40 years of age. Humans possess 24 ribs, which come in pairs that are located on each side of the body. These bony structures are flattened, elongated and slightly bent around the cavity. The ribs are generally classified into three: true ribs, false ribs and floating ribs. The true ribs are directly connected to the sternum while the false ribs, or ribs eight to 10, are indirectly attached. The floating ribs, or ribs 11 to 12, are joined to the vertebrae. Learn more about Bones