Missouri Esthetics State Board Practice Exam

The bone that runs across the chest between the shoulders is the clavicle. This long, slender bone is commonly referred to as the collarbone and serves as a critical connection point between the arm and the thorax. It stabilizes the shoulder and provides structural support to the upper body by connecting the sternum in the center of the chest to the scapula, or shoulder blade, on either side.

Its unique position allows it to act as a strut that keeps the shoulders back and helps maintain proper posture. Understanding the anatomy of the clavicle is important for estheticians, as it plays a role in how the upper body moves and can influence aesthetic techniques involving the neck and shoulders.

In contrast, the scapula is the shoulder blade and is located on the back, while the sternum is the breastbone located at the front and serves as the central connecting piece for the ribs. Ribs encircle the chest but do not run across the body in the same way the clavicle does.