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The Female Body: An Owner's Manual: Collarbone

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Collarbone

Some say that protruding collarbones on a woman are sexy.

Others think they look sickly.

Whether or not you have prominent collarbones, these S-shaped bones all function the same way. When it comes right down to it, they are designed to hold your shoulders in place.

Your collarbones are located exactly where you''d expect them to be: right where the collar of your shirt fastens. This bony protrusion, the clavicle, extends in a long, S-shaped curve, to the shoulder joint, called the scapula, or shoulder blade. They''re held together by ligaments.

People don''t often dislocate a collarbone, because the ligaments holding the sternum and scapula are so strong. Fractures are more common. If you start to fall and put out your arm to catch yourself, the jolt gets absorbed all the way through your shoulder to your collarbone.

If you do get a fracture, you''ll feel the pain--and your arm will feel like it''s gone limp. "One way to tell is if you have direct tenderness over your collarbone," says Bruce Janiak, M.D., director of the Emergency Center at Toledo Hospital in Ohio. "If you have a suspicion, it is best to go get an x-ray."

In the past, fractured collarbones used to be treated by immobilizing the whole upper arm and shoulder area for several weeks. But this practice is changing, according to Dr. Janiak. He believes the collarbone can probably heal just as well on its own. So don''t be surprised if the prescription is just "take it easy."

See also Skeletal System

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