Advanced Sternoclavicular Joint Quiz

Q1. Which direction of sternoclavicular joint dislocation is particularly dangerous because of structures lying behind the medial clavicle?

• Superior only
• Lateral
• Anterior
• Posterior

Q2. Which major venous structures may be endangered by posterior displacement at the sternoclavicular joint?

• Brachiocephalic veins
• Dorsal venous network of the hand
• Great saphenous veins
• Cephalic veins at the wrist

Q3. Which airway structure can potentially be compressed by a posterior sternoclavicular dislocation?

• Main bronchus within the lung
• Trachea
• Nasopharynx
• Laryngeal inlet only

Q4. Why is traumatic sternoclavicular dislocation relatively uncommon despite the mobility of the joint?

• Strong capsular and ligamentous support provides substantial stability
• The rotator cuff directly surrounds the joint
• The medial clavicle is fused to the sternum
• The joint normally permits no movement

Q5. Which ligament serves as a major pivot and stabilizer for movements of the clavicle at the sternoclavicular joint?

• Coracoacromial ligament
• Transverse humeral ligament
• Costoclavicular ligament
• Annular ligament

Q6. During elevation of the lateral end of the clavicle, around which general axis does movement initially occur at the sternoclavicular joint?

• Anteroposterior axis
• Vertical axis through the elbow
• Longitudinal axis of the humerus
• Transverse axis through the wrist

Q7. During protraction and retraction of the clavicle, movement occurs primarily around which general axis?

• Anteroposterior axis only
• Vertical axis
• Transverse axis of the humeral head
• Longitudinal axis of the radius

Q8. What happens to the clavicle during the later phase of full upper limb elevation?

• It rotates posteriorly around its longitudinal axis
• It rotates anteriorly until it contacts the sternum
• It becomes fixed and stops participating in shoulder girdle movement
• It rotates around the longitudinal axis of the ulna

Q9. A strong force applied to the shoulder girdle may fracture the clavicle rather than dislocate the sternoclavicular joint. What anatomical feature helps explain this pattern?

• The sternoclavicular joint is fused after childhood
• The sternoclavicular joint has strong ligamentous stabilization
• The clavicle does not articulate with the sternum
• The clavicle contains no cortical bone

Q10. Which description best summarizes the functional anatomy of the sternoclavicular joint?

• A hinge joint responsible only for flexion and extension of the arm
• A ball-and-socket joint between the clavicle and first rib
• A rigid fibrous joint that prevents movement of the shoulder girdle
• A strongly stabilized synovial joint that permits multiplanar clavicular movement and transmits forces to the axial skeleton