A cervical rib is a supernumerary (extra) rib which arises from the seventh cervical vertebra. It is a congenital abnormality located above the normal first rib. A cervical rib is present in only about 1 in 200 (0.5%) of people; in even more rare cases, an individual may have not one but two cervical ribs. The presence of a cervical rib can cause a form of thoracic outlet syndrome due to compression of the brachial plexus or subclavian artery. This is often diagnosed by finding a positive Adson's sign on examination, where the radial pulse in one arm is lost during abduction and external rotation of the shoulder. The human rib cage. ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... A congenital disorder is a medical condition or defect that is present at or before birth (for example, congenital heart disease). ... Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) consists of a group of distinct disorders that affect the nerves in the brachial plexus (nerves that pass into the arms from the neck) and various nerves and blood vessels between the base of the neck and axilla (armpit). ... The brachial plexus is an arrangement of nerve fibres (a plexus) running from the spine (vertebrae C5-T1), through the neck, the axilla (armpit region), and into the arm. ... The subclavian artery is a major artery of the upper thorax that mainly supplies blood to the head and arms. ... Adsons sign is seen during abduction and external rotation at the shoulder, where there is loss of the radial pulse in the arm. ... In medicine, a persons pulse is the throbbing of their arteries as an effect of the heart beat. ...
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