Joint · Shoulders
Sternoclavicular joint
Articulatio sternoclavicularis
Reviewed by Dr. Ryan Rietz, D.P.T. and Dr. John Breyman, D.C.
The only bony joint between the arm and the rest of the skeleton. The collarbone meets the top of the breastbone here, and a fibrocartilaginous disc sits between them, dividing the joint in two and absorbing force transmitted in from the arm. Every time you raise your arm, this small joint has to move — so although it is easy to overlook, it is an obligatory link in the chain. It is exceptionally stable: the disc and its strong ligaments make dislocation rare compared with the joint at the other end of the same bone.
Also known as
- SC joint
- collarbone joint
- sternoclavicular articulation