What is Bucket Handle Movement of Ribs, it’s Anatomy

Last updated on October 5th, 2023 at 12:51 pm

• The bucket handle movement of the ribs is a type of motion that occurs during breathing.
• It involves the ribs moving upward and outward, expanding the chest cavity and allowing the lungs to fill with air.
• This movement is important for efficient breathing and oxygenation of the body.
• The bucket handle movement is controlled by the muscles between the ribs and the diaphragm.

When we breathe in or out, air is exchanged between the inside and outside of the chest due to the expansion and contraction of the chest wall. This motion of chest wall/ thoracic cage can be explained by bucket handle movement and pump handle movement of ribs.

Bucket handle movement of ribs is a transverse increase in diameter of the chest due to movement of ribs during respiration. It expands and increases the volume of the chest to inhale air during inhalation. In this article, we will try to understand what actually is the transverse movement of ribs, why it is called a bucket handle of the chest and its significance.

Bucket handle movement of ribs

Expansion and compression of the chest are very important for inhalation and exhalation during breathing. Both are the result of the movement of ribs. This movement of ribs affects the lung volume and capacity, an important parameter to measure the health of our lungs. The movement of ribs occurs in an axis formed on the posterior of the vertebral body.

As you can refer to the figure above, posteriorly our ribs form two joints with vertebrae. One is the corticospinal joint and another one is the costovertebral joint. The line joining these two joints forms the axis of the movement of ribs. The line joining these two joints forms the axis for the movement of ribs.

The position of this axis changes from the frontal plane at the top to the sagittal plane at the bottom of the thoracic level. Referring again to the figure that displays the upper ribs up to the 7th ribs, you can see this axis somewhat lies in the frontal plane, this progresses to the sagittal plane in the lower ribs.

When we inspire the chest wall expands by the movement of the ribs. So, the lower ribs elevate, which occurs in the frontal plane to increase the volume of the rib cage. This motion of lower ribs resembles the bucket handle movement, as you can see in this animation.

This is why it is termed bucket handle movement of the chest. Interestingly the anteroposterior movement of the chest resembles pump handle movement and is termed the pump handle movement of ribs. They together with bucket handle movement cause an increase and decrease in chest volume during respiration.

What causes bucket handle movement?

When we breathe, our thoracic wall muscles works to expand and contract the thoracic cage. Thoracic wall muscle is divided into two groups: those that help us inhale and those that help us force exhale¹.

During inhalation, our thorax expands in three directions: anterior-posterior (pump handle movement of ribs, vertical, and transverse (bucket handle movement of ribs). This motion of ribs happens as a result of contration of external intercostal muscles, lifting the ribs and causing a bucket handle motion that expands the thorax transversely.

Facts about human chest

Keep Reading: Pump handle movement of ribs with animation