Clavicle

Clavicle (collarbone)
Human collarbone
Collarbone (shown in red)
Details
Identifiers
Latinclavicula
MeSHD002968
TA98A02.4.02.001
TA21168
FMA13321
Anatomical terms of bone

The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long[1] that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the right. The clavicle is the only long bone in the body that lies horizontally.[2] Together with the shoulder blade, it makes up the shoulder girdle. It is a palpable bone and, in people who have less fat in this region, the location of the bone is clearly visible. It receives its name from Latin clavicula 'little key' because the bone rotates along its axis like a key when the shoulder is abducted. The clavicle is the most commonly fractured bone. It can easily be fractured by impacts to the shoulder from the force of falling on outstretched arms or by a direct hit.[3]

  1. ^ The Shoulder Complex. In: Prentice WE. eds. Principles of Athletic Training: A Guide to Evidence-Based Clinical Practice, 17e. McGraw-Hill; Accessed October 30, 2020. https://accessphysiotherapy-mhmedical-com.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/content.aspx?bookid=2992&sectionid=250962289
  2. ^ "CorrectQ3". www.westfield.ma.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  3. ^ "Busy Bones". 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2016-12-02.