title: Clavicle morphometry revisited: a 3-dimensional study with relevance to operative fixation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The advocacy for operative fixation of midshaft clavicle fractures has prompted a reemergence of interest in clavicle anatomy. Three-dimensional (3D) anatomical studies provide more information than 2-dimensional studies, but are currently rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five skeletonized clavicles were digitized using a laser scanner. Three-dimensional computer software was used to analyze the data. Clavicles were divided into medial, middle, and lateral segments based on the medial and lateral apices of curvature and their lengths and midpoint cortical diameter measured. The angles of medial and lateral curvatures were measured in standardized axial and coronal planes. The medial and lateral curvatures were fitted with circles and the radii of curvature measured. Correlations between the intrinsic dimensions of the clavicle were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean length was 136.7 mm. The medial, middle, and lateral segments had mean lengths of 48, 56, and 32.7 mm, respectively. In the axial plane, the mean medial and lateral angles were 149.5° and 145.8°, respectively. In the coronal plane, the mean medial and lateral angles were 178.2° and 174.2°, respectively. The mean midpoint cortical diameter was 10.9 mm. The mean medial and lateral radii of curvature were 66.4 and 33.5 mm, respectively. The length and cortical diameter and length and medial radius of curvature were found to positively correlate, R(2) = .355 and .184, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using standardized measurements, we were able to accurately characterize the dimensions of the clavicle. We found that the length of the clavicle correlates with the midpoint cortical diameter and with the radius of medial curvature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Elbow Shoulder Research Center, University of Kentucky, 740 South Limestone Street K-412 Kentucky Clinic, Lexington, KY 40536-0284, USA.
authors.forename: Abdo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bachoura
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Deane
authors.forename: James N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Srinath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamineni
mesh_terms: D002968:Clavicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional