Definition

Noun: 1. A vein that drains blood from the intercostal spaces: An intercostal vein is a blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood away from the muscles and tissues located between the ribs (the intercostal spaces) and back toward the heart.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The surgeon carefully avoided the intercostal vein while inserting the chest tube.
  • A blockage in an intercostal vein is a rare but serious condition.
  • These anatomical drawings clearly show the path of each intercostal vein alongside the artery and nerve.

Advanced Usage

• "Superior intercostal vein": A specific vein that drains the upper intercostal spaces.
  • The superior intercostal vein typically drains into the brachiocephalic vein.
• "Posterior intercostal veins": The primary veins, typically occurring in pairs (anterior and posterior), that run along the underside of each rib.
  • The posterior intercostal veins are key vessels in the thoracic wall's venous drainage.

Variants and Related Words

• Intercostal (adj): Pertaining to the area between the ribs.
  • The patient felt pain in the intercostal muscles.
• Intercostal artery (n): The artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the intercostal spaces.
• Intercostal nerve (n): The nerve that provides sensation and motor function to the intercostal muscles and skin of the chest wall.

Synonyms

• Venous vessel of the intercostal space (descriptive synonym, not common in everyday use).

Related Phrases

• Venous drainage of the thorax: The system of veins, including the intercostal veins, that carries blood from the chest wall.
  • Understanding the venous drainage of the thorax is essential for thoracic surgeons.

Noun

1. several veins draining the intercostal spaces of the rib cage