Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus V: Skeletal Systems: Upper Limb

Clavicle

Ronald A. Bergman, PhD
Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Ryosuke Miyauchi, MD
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

The clavicle is often (2-6% of cases) traversed by a small canal which provides passage for one of the intermediate supraclavicular nerves. Santos reported the frequency to be about 6.6%. This canal reportedly occurs more frequently on the left side.

The costoclavicular ligament may cause a deep impression in the clavicle, which may be mistakenly identified as a lesion when seen in x-ray films.

The coracoclavicular syndesmosis may be a diarthrosis or a cartilaginous symphysis.

The roughened area on the superior surface of the clavicle, so-called deltoid tubercle, may be elongated to form a deltoid process.

Bifurcate clavicle and duplication of the clavicle have been described.

The partial or complete absence of a clavicle was mentioned previously in relation to defects in the skull, and may be associated with a hereditary condition termed cleidocranial dysostosis.

Cleidocranial Dysostosis

Clavicular Canals for Supraclavicular Nerves

References

Fischer, E. (1957) Persistierende Klavikualapophyse. Fortschr. Rontgenstr. 86:532.

Gegenbaur, C. (1864) Ein Fall von erblichem Mangel der Pars acromialis Claviculae mit Bemerkungen über die Entwickelung der Clavicula. Jenaische Zeitschrift f. Med. u. Naturw. 1:1-16.

Giaccai, L., Salaam, M. and H. Zellweger. (1954) Cleidocranial dysostosis with osteopetrosis. Acta. Radiol. 41:417-424.

Gruber, W. (1871) Über das Tuberculum deltoideum und den Processus deltoideus des Schlüsselbeines. Arch. Anat. Physiol. Wissen. Med. 1871:297-299.

Hultkrantz, J. (1899) Über congenitalen Schlüsselbeindefect und damit verbundene Schädelanomalien. Anat. Anz. 15:237-241.

Ingham, F.L. (1947) Cranio-cleido-dyostosis. Brit. J. Radiol. 20:323-324.

Jackson, W.P.U. (1951) Osteo-dental dysplasia (cleido-cranial dysostosis). Acta Med. Scand. 139:292-307.

Klinke, K. and H. Pahlke. (1930) Dysostosis cleidocranialis. Bericht über 2 Fälle. Arch. Kinderheilk. 91:46-54.

Liebenam, L. (1938) Zwillingspathologische Untersuchengen aus dem Gebiet der Anomalien der Körperform. Partieller Riesenwuchs. Angeborener Pectoralisdefekt. Dysostosis cleidocranialis. Dysostosis craniofacialis. Zeitschr. f. Menschl. Vererbungs- u. Konstitutionslehre 22:373-417.

Magauzzi-Valeri, R. (1914) Sur un cas d'articulation costo-claviculaire. Arch. Ital. Biol. 62:283.

Pahl, R. (1955) Doppelter Nervenkanal der Klavikula als diagnostische Fehlerquelle. (Zugleich ein Beitrag über das Foramen nervi supraclavicularis.) Fortschr. Röntgenstrahlen 82:487-491.

Pendergrass, E.P. and P.J. Hodes. (1937) The rhomboid fossa of the clavicle. Am. J. Roentgenol. 38:152-155.

Reid, R.W. (1932) Cranio-cleido dysostosis and normal skull formation. J. Anat. 66:64-65.

Reinhardt, K. (1970) Eine doppelseitige Anomalie am lateralen Klavikuladrittel, bestehend aus einer bogenförmigen Duplikatur des Knochens in Richtung auf das Coracoid und aus akzessorischen Knochenelementen. Fortschritte Röntgenstrahlen 113:527-530.

Rutherford, H. (1921) Bifurcate clavicle. J. Anat. 55:286-287.

Santos, E. (1927) Le canalicule. Coimbra Folia Anat. Univ. Conimbr. 2: N. 13.

Schlyvitch, B. (1937-38) Über den Articulus coracoclavicularis. Anat. Anz. 85:89-93.

Skarby, H.G. (1936) Das Foramen nervi clavicularis im Rontgenbild. Acta Radiol. 17:397-402.

Terry, R.J. (1889) Rudimentary clavicles and other abnormalites of the skeleton of a white women. J. Anat. Physiol. 33:412-422.

Terry, R.J. (1932) The clavicle of the American Negro. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 16:351-379.

Waern, A. (1933-34) Kongenitale Schlüsselbeinperforation. Anat. Anz. 77:221-229.

Zellweger, H.K., Theiler, K. and F. Larcher. (1950) über die Dysostosis cleidocranialis. Hel. Paediatr. Acta 5:264-278.

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