The collarbone is the only long bone set across the body
The clavicle runs from the breastbone to the shoulder blade. Other long bones — femur, humerus, tibia — line up with the limb. This one lies across the top of the chest.
It holds the shoulder out from the rib cage so the arm can swing clear of the trunk. It also passes force from the arm into the skeleton when you push, fall, or carry.
That exposed span is why a fall onto the shoulder so often snaps it. The bone that gives the arm its reach is also the one with the least cover.
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