- Thoracic inlet (superior thoracic aperture): narrow opening between the thoracic cavity and the root of the neck, transmitting the trachea, oesophagus, great vessels and nerves.
- Anatomists call it thoracic inlet since air and food enter the thorax through it; clinicians call it thoracic outlet since major arteries and the T1 nerve emerge through it into the neck and limb.
Boundaries and Plane
Boundaries of the thoracic inlet
Boundary
Anterior
- Formed by
- Superior border of manubrium sterni
Posterior
- Formed by
- Anterior border of superior surface of body of T1 vertebra
Lateral (each side)
- Formed by
- Medial border of first rib and its costal cartilage