Sternoclavicular joint

The sternoclavicular joint or sternoclavicular articulation is the joint between the sternum and the clavicle. It is structurally classed as a synovial double-plane joint and functionally classed as a diarthrotic joint. It is composed of two portions separated by an articular disc of fibrocartilage. The bone areas entering into its formation are the sternal end of the clavicle, the upper and lateral part of the manubrium sterni (clavicular notch of the manubrium sterni), and the cartilage of the first rib, visible from the outside as the suprasternal notch. The articular surface of the clavicle is much larger than that of the sternum, and is invested with a layer of cartilage, which is considerably thicker than that on the latter bone.