Ribs 10-11 are classified as what type of ribs?

Ribs 10-11 are classified as false ribs, but they are more specifically known as floating ribs. False ribs are those that do not attach directly to the sternum via their own costal cartilages. The first eight pairs of ribs, known as true ribs, directly connect to the sternum, whereas false ribs include the next three pairs, which connect to the sternum indirectly or not at all.

Ribs 10 and 11, while they are false ribs, are distinguished as floating ribs because they do not have any anterior attachment to the sternum or to the cartilage of other ribs. This lack of connection categorizes them differently from the other false ribs that still have some form of indirect connection. Understanding this classification highlights the functional and anatomical differences in the rib cage structure.