interchondral articulation

interchondral articulation, the articulation of the cartilage of adjacent ribs, mainly between the costal cartilages of ribs VII to X but sometimes involving the costal cartilages of ribs V and VI. Interchondral joints provide indirect anchorage to the sternum and contribute to the formation of a smooth inferior costal margin. They are usually synovial, and the thin fibrous capsules are reinforced by interchondral ligaments.