The thorax plays a significant role in the protection of vital organs, but is an area particularly susceptible to injury in the context of a motor vehicle crash. Increasing age results in higher risk and severity of thoracic injury, suggesting that the structural and material properties of the ribs, also thought to vary with age, may play a part in compromised thoracic injury tolerance [1]. Human ribs are highly susceptible to bone loss with age, particularly in the cortex. Endosteally, cortical bone trabecularizes, resulting in expansion of the medullary cavity at a rate typically exceeding periosteal apposition, leading to the largest source of net bone loss by reducing cortical area [2]. Intracortical bone loss occurs between the periosteal and endosteal borders; however, it is less severe than endocortical loss, and is characterized by increases in Haversian canal size and the coalescence of multiple remodeling events [3]. This results in reduced bone area that is often not reflected in cortical area measures, but may influence the structural response of the rib. Cortical area has potential as a variable for predicting the rib’s response to loading, with diminished cortical area expected to decrease structural properties. While cortical area may account for the diminution in endosteal cortex with age, the role of intracortical porosity has yet to be considered. This study examines the influence of intracortical porosity and bone area in regard to the structural response to loading.