Morphological Study of Attachment of Costoclavicular Ligament on the Dry Human Clavicles in North Indian Population

Abstract

Background:The clavicle bone performs a significant role in the movements of the upper limb. Clavicle is a long horizontal bone bearing two ends, i.e., asternal end, an acromial end, and a shaft. The sternal end bears an impression on its lower surface that may be in the form of a tubercle, fossae, or a depression called a costoclavicular area or rhomboid impression. This costoclavicular groove provides the attachment of the costoclavicular ligament. The mostly rough and elevated type was seen. Morphology of this area is clinically vital for the determination of age and sex and also for radiological and orthopedical points of view. Materials and methods: This study was conducted on 100 dry clavicles, out of which 50 were of the right and 50 were of the left side with unknown sex and age. In this study, rhomboid impressions were observed with variations, photographed, and compared with literature. Bones were taken from a department in a tertiary care medical institute in Punjab. Result: In this study 100 clavicles comprising 50 right and 50 left were taken and impressions were noticed, i.e., flat and smooth (FS), rough and elevated (RE), depressed and rough (DR), flat and rough (FR), and no impression. We found 18 (18%) flat and smooth (FS), 33 (33%) rough and elevated (RE), 13 (13%) depressed and rough (DR), and 19 (19%) flat and rough (FR) impressions on the clavicle. Out of 100 clavicles, 17 of them had no impressions. Conclusion: A mostly rough and elevated pattern was observed on the rhomboid impression of the clavicle bone. Knowledge of the costoclavicular impression area is clinically useful for orthopedical, radiological, and also for forensic as well as anthropological points of view.