Skip to content
ST-18 Rugen (乳根) — Breast Root
Depth
00.5–0.8 cun3.0
Transverse insertion
Precautions
Deep perpendicular insertion carries a risk of pneumothorax.
Location (classical)
On the chest, in the fifth intercostal space, 4 cun lateral to the anterior midline, directly below the nipple.
How to find it (practical)
Supine, locate the point on the vertical line through the nipple, at the middle of the fifth intercostal space.
Anatomy
Inferior margin of the pectoralis major muscle.
Needling
Transverse-oblique insertion along the intercostal space 0.5–0.8 cun.
Etymology
Ru (乳), breast; Gen (根), root or base. The point lies at the base of the breast.
CLASSICAL SOURCEJia Yi Jing
Clinical Relations
Adjacent Points on the Meridian