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.
The remaining five pairs of ribs are called false ribs because they donât attach directly to the sternum. Ribs 8â10 attach to cartilage that attaches the true ribs to the sternum, and ribs 11â12 are floatingâthey do not attach to the sternum or other ribs. The function of ribs is threefold. First, they provide protection for the lungs and heart. The ribs more or less form a âcageâ around these very important organs.