Sternoclavicular joint

Joe Muscolino

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    • The sternoclavicular (SC) joint is located between the sternum and the clavicle.
      • More specifically, it is located between the manubrium of the sternum and the proximal/medial end of the clavicle.
    • The sternoclavicular joint is a synovial, diarthrotic, biaxial, saddle joint.
    • It allows:
      • Elevation/Depression of the clavicle.
      • Protraction/Retraction of the clavicle.
      • Upward rotation / Downward rotation of the clavicle.

     

    NOTES:

    1. Much of the motion that is credited to the scapula at the scapulocostal joint is actually driven from movement of the clavicle at the sternoclavicular joint. Perhaps the term scapulohumeral rhythm should be claviculoscapulohumeral rhythm.
    2. The sternoclavicular joint is the sole osseous joint that connects the upper extremity appendicular skeleton to the axial skeleton.
    3. There is an intra-articular fibrocartilaginous disc located with the sternoclavicular joint.
    4. The sternoclavicular joint is biaxial but allows motion within all three planes, so it is biaxial but triplanar. This is because the rotation motions are coupled with the elevation/depression motions, so they cannot be isolated, but instead occur together in an oblique plane.
    Anterior view of the sternoclavicular joints bilaterally.

    Anterior view of the sternoclavicular joints bilaterally.

     

    Oblique (anterolateral) view of the sternoclavicular joint on the right side of the body.

    Oblique (anterolateral) view of the sternoclavicular joint on the right side of the body.