Clavicle facts for kids
| Bone: Clavicle (collarbone) | ||
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| Collarbone (shown in red) | ||
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| Human collarbone | ||
| Latin | Clavicula | |
| Gray's | subject #49 200 | |
| MeSH | Clavicle | |
The clavicle, also known as the collarbone, is a long bone in your body. It acts like a support beam between your shoulder blade and your sternum (breastbone). You have two collarbones, one on each side. It's special because it's the only long bone in your body that lies flat, or horizontally. The collarbone and shoulder blade together form your shoulder girdle, which helps connect your arm to your body.
You can easily feel your collarbone under your skin. For some people, it's even clearly visible as a bump. The collarbone is the most commonly broken bone in the human body. It can break easily from a hard hit to the shoulder, or if you fall onto an outstretched arm.
Contents
What is the Collarbone?
The collarbone is a large, curved long bone. It connects your arm to the main part of your body (your trunk). It sits right above your first rib. Its main job is to hold your shoulder blade in place. This allows your arm to hang freely and move easily.
The collarbone has three main parts:
- The medial end (the part closer to the middle of your body)
- The lateral end (the part closer to your shoulder)
- The shaft (the long middle section)
How the Collarbone Grows
The collarbone is one of the very first bones to start forming when a baby is developing inside its mother. This process, called ossification (when minerals like calcium are laid down to make bone), begins around the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy.
However, even though it starts early, the collarbone is one of the last bones to finish growing. It doesn't fully harden until you are about 21 to 25 years old. The inside of the collarbone is made of spongy bone, which is light but strong. This is surrounded by a hard outer layer called compact bone.
Differences in Collarbone Shape
The shape of the collarbone can vary quite a lot from person to person. More than most other long bones, it shows differences.
- In males, the collarbone is usually thicker and more curved. The places where muscles attach to the bone are also more noticeable.
- The left collarbone is often a bit longer and not quite as strong as the right one.
- Overall, males tend to have larger, longer, heavier, and more solid collarbones than females.
Images for kids
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3D model of the clavicle
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Position of collarbone (shown in red). Animation.
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Shape of collarbone (left). Animation.
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Muscles of the neck. Anterior view.
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Clavicle
See also
In Spanish: Clavícula para niños
