clavicularis

Clavicularis is a Latin adjective used in human anatomy to denote relation to the clavicle, the collarbone. The word derives from clavicula, the Latin name for the clavicle, with the suffix -aris forming adjectives such as clavicularis meaning “of the clavicle” or “clavicular.”

In anatomical usage, clavicularis functions as a descriptor attached to nouns to indicate a clavicular association. It is often seen in the naming of muscular parts or regions. For example, the clavicular head of certain muscles is described as pars clavicularis or clavicularis pars, such as the clavicular part of the pectoralis major (pars clavicularis pectoralis major) and the clavicular portion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (caput claviculare or pars clavicularis sternocleidomastoideus). The term may also appear in descriptions of fascia or ligaments associated with the clavicle, for instance fascia clavicularis or ligaments pertaining to the clavicular region.

Clavicularis is not a distinct anatomical structure by itself but a linguistic convention used to specify the part of a structure that interacts with or attaches to the clavicle. Because Latin adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify, the form clavicularis appears in masculine singular context and may appear in other forms in different grammatical contexts within anatomical nomenclature.

See also: clavicle (collarbone), clavicular head, pars clavicularis, sternocleidomastoid, pectoralis major.