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Costal surface (lung)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The costal surface of the lung largely conforms to the costal surface of the pleura:

  • it has the largest surface area of the lung surfaces
  • its boundaries on each side are:
    • anteriorly, the anterior border of the lung
    • posteriorly, the posterior border of the lung
    • inferiorly, the diaphragmatic border of the lung
    • superiorly, the apex of the lung
  • the surface is convex in the anterior to posterior direction from its origin behind sternum to the edge of the paravertebral gutters
  • across the area of the paravertebral gutters posteriorly, the costal surface is formed into a complimentary concavity
  • as it approximates closely to the inside of the thoracic cavity, the costal surface may exhibit indentations corresponding to the position of overlying ribs

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