The costovertebral angle (Latin: arcus costovertebralis) is the acute angle formed on either side of the human back between the twelfth rib and the vertebral column.[1]

Costovertebral angle
View of the human skeleton from the back; the costovertebral angle is marked.
Details
Identifiers
Latinarcus costovertebralis
Anatomical terminology
Transverse section, showing the relations of the capsule of the kidney.

The kidney lies directly below this area, so is the place where, with percussion (Latin: sucussio renalis), pain is elicited when the person has kidney inflammation. The presence of pain is marked as a positive Murphy's punch sign or as costovertebral angle tenderness.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Costovertebral Angle - Medical Definition". Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  2. ^ Musana KA, Yale SH (August 2005). "Murphy's Sign". Clin Med Res. 3 (3): 132. doi:10.3121/cmr.3.3.132. PMC 1237152. PMID 16160065.