Clavicle

The clavicle, commonly called the collarbone, is the long, curved bone that connects your breastbone to your shoulder blade, forming the bony bridge across the front of your shoulder.

What your clavicle (collarbone) does and how it affects shoulder movement

Your clavicle — the collarbone — sits just beneath the skin across the top of your chest, running from the center of your chest — where it meets your sternum — out to the tip of your shoulder, where it meets your shoulder blade. It's the only bony connection between your arm and the rest of your skeleton, and it acts as a strut that holds your shoulder out and away from your body so your arm can move freely.

When the clavicle is fractured — which happens most often from a fall onto an outstretched hand or direct impact — the shoulder tends to drop inward, and lifting your arm becomes painful or impossible. The joints at either end of the clavicle, particularly the acromioclavicular (AC) joint at the shoulder end, are also common sites for pain from injury or gradual wear.

How Sword Health can help

Whether you're recovering from a clavicle fracture, dealing with AC joint pain, or working to restore shoulder function after an injury, a physical therapist can guide your recovery with targeted exercises and movement retraining. Sword connects you with that care from home, so you don't have to navigate recovery alone.