TissueDB/Materials/Animal Ribs
Animal ribs are ex vivo animal rib segments — most often a porcine rib rack — used in surgical simulation to reproduce the bone density, cortical hardness and intercostal spacing of human ribs. Because they are real bone, they give authentic resistance to cutting instruments and realistic tactile feedback on palpation, unlike synthetic bone substitutes; their main limitation is a size and curvature scaled to the animal rather than the adult human. They are bought fresh from a butcher and used for procedures that require rib palpation, intercostal dissection, or passing a needle or tube over a rib.
Tissues
| Tissue | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribs (rib bone) | Partial | Yes | Multipurpose Thoracic Simulator (Carter) | Ex vivo porcine rib rack (4–5 rib segment) supplying bone density and the intercostal spaces, so the thoracentesis needle and the chest tube pass above a rib as in the patient.[1] Real bone gives authentic cutting and palpation feel; a porcine rack is smaller and differently curved than an adult human rib cage. |
Used In Simulators
| Simulator | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multipurpose Thoracic Simulator (Carter) | Rib / bone element of the chest wall | A 4–5 rib porcine segment forms the bony chest wall shared by the thoracentesis and chest-tube stations (Carter et al. 2010).[1] |
References
[edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Carter YM, Wilson BM, Hall E, Marshall MB. Multipurpose Simulator for Technical Skill Development in Thoracic Surgery. Journal of Surgical Research 2010;163(2):186–191. DOI 10.1016/j.jss.2010.04.051. PMID 20691997.
Overview
[edit source]Animal ribs are sourced fresh from a butcher as a rib rack (the Carter thoracic trainer uses a 4–5 rib porcine segment). Being real bone, they need no preparation beyond trimming to the segment size, and they give a cutting and palpation feel a synthetic bone cannot; the trade-off is a curvature and size scaled to the animal rather than the adult human. They are perishable and single-use — refrigerate until the session and discard via biological-waste protocol afterwards.
Synonyms
[edit source]Common names: Pork ribs, porcine ribs, animal rib rack, rib rack, porcine rib segment. The specific animal is recorded in the notes, not the class title.
Clinical Context for Simulation
[edit source]Processing & Preparation
[edit source]Safety Considerations
[edit source]Related Materials
[edit source]| Authors | Arturopelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Materials/Animal Ribs". Appropedia. Retrieved July 3, 2026. |