The definitions used in this glossary of terminology either have been provided by the authors of the articles, or have been extracted wholly or in part, or paraphrased from the following sources: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, Charles B. Clayman, MD, Medical Editor, Random House, New York, 1989; Biotechnology from A to Z, 2d Edition, William Bains, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; A Dictionary of Genetics, 6th Edition, Robert C. King and William D. Stansfield, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 29th and 30th Editions, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2000, 2003; Genes VII, Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2000; The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, Volumes I and II, Stacey L. Blachford, Ed., Thomson Learning, New York, New York, 2002; The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997; Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd Edition, Bruce Alberts, et al., Garland Publishing, 1994; The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966; Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1991.

DEFINITION:

clavicle

The collarbone. There are two of these bones, each slightly curved like an "f," that join the top of the sternum (breastbone) to the scapula (shoulder blade). The clavicles support the arms and transmit forces from the arms to the central skeleton.

The ligaments that link the clavicle to the sternum and scapula are very strong, which explains why the clavicle is rarely dislocated but frequently broken. Most fractures occur as a result of a fall onto the shoulder or an outstretched arm. When the clavicle is broken, the arm tends to sag and must be supported by a sling and a figure-of-eight bandage to keep the broken ends together until the fracture has healed, which may require six to 12 weeks of immobilization.