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Midclavicular line
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:watermark(/images/watermark_only_413.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url_sm.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/midclavicular-line/xgT39YwqnT9e3TKTomeAUQ_Midclavicular_line.png "Midclavicular line (Linea medioclavicularis); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
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The midclavicular line is an important imaginary vertical reference line on the anterior chest wall that passes from the mid-point of the clavicle down to the mid-inguinal point, halfway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic symphysis. It is often used by clinicians for assessing liver size and localizing the cardiac apex beat.
The two midclavicular lines are also the vertical lines used within the nine region scheme of dividing the abdomen into anatomical segments used by clinicians to help localize, identify and diagnose symptoms. Within this scheme, they intersect with two transverse planes to form the nine regions. The first is the subcostal plane, intersecting with the midclavicular line at the level of the lower edge of the 10th costal cartilage, while the second is the transtubercular plane, intersecting with the midclavicular line at the level of the tubercles of the iliac crests.
| Terminology |
English: Midclavicular line Latin: Linea medioclavicularis |
| Definition | An imaginary vertical line, passing from the mid-point of the clavicle to the mid-inguinal point. |
Learn more about the surface anatomy of the body with this study unit:
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