Collarbone

Collarbone (Clavicle)

The collarbone (medical name: clavicle) is the long, slightly S-shaped bone that runs horizontally between the top of the sternum (breastbone) and the shoulder blade (scapula). It is a prominent surface landmark on most people and plays both structural and aesthetic roles.

Anatomy & function

Location: Connects the sternum (manubrium) to the acromion of the scapula, forming part of the shoulder girdle.
Shape: S-shaped shaft with medial (sternal) and lateral (acromial) ends; easy to palpate in lean body types or when the arm is relaxed.
Function: Acts as a strut holding the shoulder away from the thorax, enabling wide arm movement and transmitting mechanical force from arm to trunk.

Surface landmarks & variation

The clavicle is commonly visible as a ridge under the skin at the top of the chest, especially when the shoulders are drawn back. Prominence varies with body fat, muscle tone, posture, age and sex.
Sexual dimorphism: in many populations clavicles may differ in length or prominence on average, but individual variation is large.

Clinical notes (brief)

Fractures: the clavicle is one of the most commonly fractured bones — typically after direct impact or falls onto an outstretched hand/shoulder.
Palpation: tenderness or deformity after trauma suggests fracture; otherwise palpation is painless and useful for anatomical description in writing.

Sensation, aesthetics and writing

The collarbone is an important visual and tactile cue in sensual description: it frames the throat and upper chest, creates shadow lines, and gives places for fingers to glide or rest. It often reads as delicate, elegant or angular depending on body composition.
Posture changes (shoulders back vs hunched) dramatically alter the collarbone's appearance and emotional tone in a scene.

Writing tips

Use the clavicle to show emotion: a thrown-back shoulder exaggerates its line (confidence); hunched shoulders make it recede (vulnerability).
Combine tactile + visual detail: temperature, pressure (fingertips resting on the bone), and micro-reactions (gooseflesh along the ridge) to make touches feel real.

Mini example

Her collarbones caught the late light, twin pale ridges that invited the tip of his thumb—cool and deliberate—before she shivered and reddened beneath it.

Why it works: highlights anatomy (collarbones), combines visual (light, ridges) with tactile (thumb, cool) and an involuntary response (shiver), useful for short scene-setting.