What is the medical name for the collarbone?

The medical name for the collarbone is the clavicle, a slender bone connecting the breastbone to the shoulder blade.

Each person normally has two clavicles, one on either side of the upper chest. The medial end joins the sternum at the sternoclavicular joint, while the lateral end meets the acromion of the scapula at the acromioclavicular joint. Together, the clavicles help form the shoulder girdle.

The clavicle acts like a strut, holding the shoulder away from the rib cage and giving the arm room to move. It also helps transfer forces from the arm to the central skeleton and helps protect important nerves and blood vessels passing toward the upper limb. Its S-shaped curve provides strength while retaining some flexibility.

The word clavicle comes from the Latin clavicula, meaning “little key,” because the bone rotates somewhat like a key during shoulder movement. A common mix-up is confusing it with the scapula, or shoulder blade; the scapula lies behind the shoulder, whereas the clavicle is the visible horizontal bone at the front.