The clavipectoral fascia (costocoracoid membrane; coracoclavicular fascia) is a strong

fascia A fascia (; : fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; ) is a generic term for macroscopic membranous bodily structures. Fasciae are classified as superficial, visceral or deep, and further designated according to their anatomical location. ...

situated under cover of the clavicular portion of the pectoralis major. It occupies the interval between the

pectoralis minor Pectoralis minor muscle () is a thin, triangular muscle, situated at the upper part of the chest, beneath the pectoralis major in the human body. It arises from ribs III-V; it inserts onto the coracoid process of the scapula. It is innervated by ...

and subclavius, and protects the

axillary vein In human anatomy, the axillary vein is a large blood vessel that conveys blood from the lateral aspect of the thorax, axilla (armpit) and upper limb toward the heart. There is one axillary vein on each side of the body. Structure Its origin i ...

and

artery An artery () is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in ...

, and

axillary nerve The axillary nerve or the circumflex nerve is a nerve of the human body, that originates from the brachial plexus ( upper trunk, posterior division, posterior cord) at the level of the axilla (armpit) and carries nerve fibers from C5 and C6. ...

. Traced upward, it splits to enclose the subclavius, and its two layers are attached to the

clavicle The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately long that serves as a strut between the scapula, shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavic ...

, one in front of and the other behind the muscle; the deep layer fuses with the deep cervical fascia and with the sheath of the axillary vessels. Medially, it blends with the fascia covering the first two

intercostal spaces The intercostal space (ICS) is the anatomic space between two ribs (Lat. costa). Since there are 12 ribs on each side, there are 11 intercostal spaces, each numbered for the rib superior to it. Structures in intercostal space * several kind ...

, and is attached also to the first rib medial to the origin of the subclavius. Laterally, it is very thick and dense, and is attached to the

coracoid process The coracoid process (from Greek κόραξ, raven) is a small hook-like structure on the lateral edge of the superior anterior portion of the scapula (hence: coracoid, or "like a raven's beak"). Pointing laterally forward, it, together with the ...

. The portion extending from the first rib to the coracoid process is often whiter and denser than the rest, and is sometimes called the costocoracoid membrane. Below this. it is thin, and at the upper border of the

, it splits into two layers to invest the muscle; from the lower border of the pectoralis minor, it is continued downward to join the axillary fascia, and lateralward to join the fascia over the short head of the

biceps brachii The biceps or biceps brachii (, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle bell ...

. The clavipectoral fascia is pierced by the

cephalic vein In human anatomy, the cephalic vein (also called the antecubital vein) is a superficial vein in the arm. It is the longest vein of the upper limb. It starts at the anatomical snuffbox from the radial end of the dorsal venous network of hand, a ...

, thoracoacromial artery and vein, lymphatics and lateral pectoral nerve.

References

External links

* - "Pectoral Region: Reflect Pectoralis Major Muscle" * - "Axillary Region" {{Authority control Thorax (human anatomy) Fascia

See also

References

External links