Clavicle

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Clavicle (collarbone)
Human collarbone
Collarbone (shown in red)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	clavicula
MeSH	D002968
TA98	A02.4.02.001
TA2	1168
FMA	13321
Anatomical terms of bone [edit on Wikidata]

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 each side of the body. 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]