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Manubrium: anatomy, location and function

The upper part of the sternum. Anchors the clavicles and upper ribs.

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Structures

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Highlighted in the model: Manubrium. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Manubrium at a glance

What it is
The upper part of the sternum.
Location
Lies at the top of the sternum, articulating with the clavicles, the first costal cartilages and the upper part of the second costal cartilages.
Function
Anchors the clavicles and upper ribs.
Body system
Skeletal · single, midline structure
FMA ID
FMA7486 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Features the jugular notch.
  • It joins the sternal body at the sternal angle.
  • It lies at about the level of T3–T4; the jugular notch on its upper border lies at about T2–T3.
  • The manubriosternal joint is a secondary cartilaginous joint (symphysis) and may fuse in older adults.

Structures next to the manubrium

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Manubrium (FMA7486). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §7.1 Divisions of the Skeletal System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.