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clavicle

  (klăv'ĭ-kəl) pronunciation
n.
  1. Either of two slender bones in humans that extend from the manubrium of the sternum to the acromion of the scapula. Also called collarbone.
  2. One of the bones of the pectoral girdle in many vertebrates.

[New Latin clāvīcula, from Latin, diminutive of clāvis, key (from its shape).]

clavicular cla·vic'u·lar (klə-vĭk'yə-lər) adj.
claviculate cla·vic'u·late' (-lāt') adj.
 
 

n

A long, curved, horizontal bone just above the first rib, forming the ventral portion of the shoulder girdle. It articulates medially with the sternum and laterally with the scapula.

 

collar bone

Slender, curved long bone extending horizontally across the upper thorax. The clavicle forms the anterior part of the pectoral girdle. It is attached anteriorly to the sternum and laterally to the acromion of the scapula. Many shoulder and chest muscles attach onto the clavicle, which transmits forces from the arms to the axial skeleton. The clavicle resists compression forces poorly and is easily fractured. The thickness of the clavicle depends on the loads that have been placed on it: clavicles are stronger and thicker in those who perform load-bearing exercises involving the shoulder and arm muscles.

 

The collar bone; reduced or absent from many domestic animals but present in animals that can grasp with their forelimbs such as the cat and primates. See also clavicular intersection.

 
Word Tutor: clavicle
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: The collarbone.

pronunciation The clavicle is a bone connecting the breastbone to the shoulder blade.

 
Wikipedia: clavicle
Bone: Clavicle
Illu_pectoral_girdles.jpg
Gray's subject #49 200
MeSH Clavicle
Collarbone and collar bone redirect here. The eye abnormality is correctly spelled coloboma.
This article uses some professional terms to describe relative positions and directions. See Anatomical terms of location for more detailed information.

In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is classified as a long bone that makes up part of the shoulder girdle (pectoral girdle). It receives its name from the Latin clavicula ("little key") because the bone rotates along its axis like a key when the shoulder is abducted. (This movement is palpable with the opposite hand). In some people, particularly females who may have less fat in this region, the location of the bone is clearly visible as it creates a bulge in the skin.

Overview

Clavicula_inf.jpg
Clavicula_sup.jpg
Right clavicle - from below, and from above.
Gray200.png
Gray201.png
Left clavicle - from above, and from below.

The clavicle is a doubly-curved long bone (the only horizontal long bone in the human body) that connects the arm (upper limb) to the body (trunk), located directly above the first rib. Medially, it articulates with the manubrium of the sternum (breast-bone) at the sternoclavicular joint. At its lateral end it articulates with the acromion of the scapula (shoulder blade) at the acromioclavicular joint. It has a rounded medial end and a flattened lateral end.

From the roughly pyramidal sternal end, each clavicle curves laterally and posteriorly for roughly half its length. It then forms a smooth posterior curve to articulate with a process of the scapula (acromion). The flat, acromial end of the clavicle is broader than the sternal end. The acromial end has a rough inferior surface that bears prominent lines and tubercles. These surface features are attachment sites for muscles and ligaments of the shoulder.

Functions

The clavicle serves several functions:

  • It serves as a rigid support from which the scapula and free limb are suspended. This arrangement keeps the upper limb (arm) away from the thorax so that the arm has maximum range of movement.
  • Covers the cervicoaxillary canal (passageway between the neck and arm), through which several important structures pass.
  • Transmits physical impacts from the upper limb to the axial skeleton.

Even though it is classified as a long bone, the clavicle has no medullary (bone marrow) cavity like other long bones. It is made up of spongy (cancellous) bone with a shell of compact bone. It is a dermal bone derived from elements originally attached to the skull.

Attachments

Muscles and ligaments that attach to the clavicle include:

Attachment on clavicle Muscle/Ligament Other attachment
Superior surface and anterior border Deltoid muscle deltoid tubercle, anteriorly on the lateral third
Superior surface Trapezius muscle posteriorly on the lateral third
Inferior surface Subclavius muscle subclavian groove
Inferior surface Conoid ligament (the medial part of the coracoclavicular ligament) conoid tubercle
Inferior surface Trapezoid ligament (the lateral part of the coracoclavicular ligament) trapezoid line
Anterior border Pectoralis major muscle medial third (rounded border)
Posterior border Sternocleidomastoid muscle (clavicular head) superiorly, on the medial third
Posterior border Sternohyoid muscle inferiorly, on the medial third
Posterior border Trapezius muscle lateral third

Development

The clavicle is the first bone to begin the process of hardening (ossification) during development of the embryo, during the 5th and 6th weeks of gestation. However, it is the last of the long bones to finish ossification, at about 21 years of age. It forms by intramembranous ossification.

Common clavicle injuries

Additional images

See also

References

  • Chung, Kyung. Board Review Series: Gross Anatomy, 4th edition.
  • Moore, Keith L. and Arthur F. Dalley. Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 4th edition.
  • Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 27th edition.
  • Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary, 5th ed.
  • Postal 2, Postal Dude

External links


 
Translations: Translations for: Clavicle

Dansk (Danish)
n. - kraveben, nøgleben

Nederlands (Dutch)
sleutelbeen

Français (French)
n. - clavicule

Deutsch (German)
n. - Schlüsselbein

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ανατ.) κλείδα

Italiano (Italian)
clavicola

Português (Portuguese)
n. - clavícula (f) (Anat.)

Русский (Russian)
ключица

Español (Spanish)
n. - clavícula

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - nyckelben

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
锁骨

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 鎖骨

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 쇄골

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 鎖骨

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) عظم الترقوة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עצם הבריח‬


 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
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Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Clavicle" Read more
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