Clavicle

Function

The strut that holds the shoulder out from the chest — the only long bone lying horizontally, and the only bony link between the arm and the trunk. It transmits force from arm to axial skeleton and shields the underlying brachial plexus and subclavian vessels.

Landmarks

• Sternal end
• Acromial end
• Subclavian groove
• Conoid tubercle
• Curvatures

Articulations (joints)

• Manubrium (sternoclavicular joint)
• Acromion of the scapula (acromioclavicular joint)

Clinical relevance

The most frequently fractured bone in the body, typically at the middle third after a fall onto the shoulder; the fragment's droop tent the skin. A fractured clavicle in a neonate signals birth trauma.