The ribs are attached posteriorly to the 12 thoracic vertebrae and most are anchored anteriorly either directly or indirectly to the sternum. There are seven pairs of sternochondral joints in total corrresponding to the seven pairs of true. Skeleton Of The Thorax Anatomy The Skeleton Of The Thorax Consists Of 12 Thoracic Vertebrae The 12 Pairs Of Ribs Thoracic Vertebrae Thorax Thoracic Cavity The sternum connects the ribs via the costal cartilages forming the anterior rib cage. . The costochondral junctions are located between the distal part of the ribs and the costal cartilages which are bars of hyaline cartilage that connect the ribs to. The thoracic cage functions to. A true rib is a rib that connects directly to the sternum. What is at the junction of a rib and the sternum. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage thus helping to protect the heart lungs and major blood vessels from inj...