Joints and ligaments · Upper limb
Interclavicular ligament !
The interclavicular ligament runs across the top of the breastbone from one collarbone to the other; it steadies both sternoclavicular joints.
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What it is
A band across the top of the breastbone joining the two collarbones.
What it does
Adds stability to both sternoclavicular joints.
Key facts
- Attaches
- Between the sternal ends of the clavicles over the jugular notch
- Function
- Reinforces both SC joints
- Tight in
- Depression of the shoulders
Relations
- Below
- Upper border of the manubrium at the jugular notch
- Lateral
- SC capsule and the sternal ends of both clavicles
- Superficial
- Suprasternal space within the deep cervical fascia, holding the jugular venous arch that joins the anterior jugular veins
- Deep
- Sternohyoid and sternothyroid, then the trachea; the left brachiocephalic vein crosses just behind the upper manubrium
How to find it
A fingertip pressed into the jugular notch, between the two sternal ends of the clavicles, rests on the band; with the head in neutral it is felt as a firm ledge at the top of the notch.
On imaging
Usually not seen on its own. Plain films of the sternoclavicular joints are hard to read because ribs and spine overlap them; a cephalic-tilt view (serendipity view) is the fallback. CT with reconstructions is preferred to assess the joints and the jugular notch; MRI can show the ligament as a thin dark band over the top of the manubrium.
Clinical notes
- In children the left brachiocephalic vein can rise above the jugular notch, a risk in a low tracheostomy and in dissection behind this ligament
- Torn with the SC ligaments in SC dislocations and included in their repair or reconstruction
- Cervical mediastinoscopy starts through a short transverse cut just above the notch; the finger then passes down behind the manubrium, in front of the trachea, to reach the paratracheal nodes
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Where does the interclavicular ligament run?
Across the jugular notch from one clavicle to the other, attached to the top of the manubrium; it reinforces both SC capsules.
Why is dissection behind the interclavicular ligament risky in children?
The left brachiocephalic vein can rise above the jugular notch.
At what step of a median sternotomy is the interclavicular ligament divided?
At the start, after the space behind it has been freed by blunt dissection.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- ligamentum interclaviculare TA2 1757
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Ligamento interclavicular
- English (TA2)
- Interclavicular ligament
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Sternoclavicular Joint.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
