This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Costoclavicular ligament (anatomy)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The costoclavicular ligament extends between the superior surface of the first costal cartilage at its lateral end and the posteroinferior surface of the clavicle which lies superiorly. Two discrete laminae are recognised and they are separated by a bursa:

  • anterior fibres which pass superolaterally
  • posterior fibres which run superomedially

These are homologues of the external and internal intercostal muscles respectively.

This short, thick, fibrous ligament has a key role to play in stabilization and movement at the sternoclavicular joint. It acts as a fulcrum so that all but axial rotatory movements of the lateral end of the clavicle are mirrored by the opposite direction of movement at the medial end. Its key function is to limit excessive superior, anterior or posterior movement of the medial end of the clavicle.


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page