articular disc
Last reviewed 01/2018
The sternoclavicular joint is divided up into two synovial compartments by an intra-articular disc. It is oval, thin and made of fibrocartilage.
It is attached to the:
- joint capsule around its circumference
- medial end of the clavicle posterosuperiorly
- first costal cartilage inferiorly
The attachment and disposition of the disc permits it to function as a ligament, holding the medial end of the clavicle against the sternum and preventing it from riding over the manubrium. Also, it functions as a 'shock absorber' for forces transmitted along the length of the clavicle.