What causes a pulmonary embolism? Blood clots can form for a variety of reasons. Pulmonary embolisms are most often caused by deep vein thrombosis, a condition in which blood clots form in veins deep in the body. The blood clots that most often cause pulmonary embolisms begin in the legs or pelvis.
All ribs are attached posteriorly to the thoracic vertebrae. The neck of the rib is the flattened part that extends laterally from the head. The neck is about 3 cm long, and is placed in front of the transverse process of the lower of the two vertebrae with which the head articulates.
1 12 thoracic vertebrae in the upper back corresponding to each pair of ribs. 2  5 lumbar vertebrae in the lower back.  5 sacral vertebrae which are fused together to form 1 bone called the sacrum and 4 coccygeal vertebrae that are also fused together to form the coccyx or tailbone.