What is the patella?
Definition of patella : a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the joint : kneecap
What is the difference between patella and kneecap?
"Kneecap" redirects here. For other uses, see Kneecap (disambiguation). The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint.
What is a patella fracture of the knee?
A patella fracture is a break in your kneecap, the bone that covers your knee joint. It’s usually caused by a traumatic injury, such as a fall or a blow to your kneecap. A patella fracture can be simple or complex.
Is patella sesamoid bone?
In humans, the patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body. Babies are born with a patella of soft cartilage which begins to ossify into bone at about three years of age. ... The patella is a sesamoid bone roughly triangular in shape, with the apex of the patella facing downwards.
What is the patella called?
the kneecapThe patella is also known as the kneecap. It sits in front of the knee joint and protects the joint from damage. It is the largest sesamoid bone in the body, and lies within the quadriceps tendon.
What is another name for your knee cap?
the patellathe patella. a protective covering, usually knitted, for the knee.
What is the difference between knee and patella?
The kneecap (patella) is a small triangular bone. It is just one of the many parts that make up the knee joint. Some of the other parts are muscles, ligaments, and leg bones. The kneecap provides leverage for your muscles as they bend and straighten the leg.
What are the parts of the knee called?
The femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone), and patella (kneecap) make up the bones of the knee. The knee joint keeps these bones in place. The patella is a small, triangle shaped bone that sits at the front of the knee, within the quadriceps muscle.
What causes patella pain?
Patellar tendinitis is a common overuse injury, caused by repeated stress on your patellar tendon. The stress results in tiny tears in the tendon, which your body attempts to repair. But as the tears in the tendon multiply, they cause pain from inflammation and weakening of the tendon.
How do you fix patella pain?
Lifestyle and home remediesPain relievers. Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium may provide short-term pain relief.Avoid activity that causes pain. You may need to practice your sport less often or temporarily switch to a lower impact sport. ... Ice. Apply ice after activity that causes pain.
Is patella the kneecap?
A kneecap (patella) fracture is a break of the bone located on the front of the knee joint. The patella is a sesamoid bone: a round bone embedded in a tendon that shields and protects a joint. In the case of the patella, ligaments attach it to both the thigh muscles (quadriceps) and the shinbone (tibia).
What does the term Kneecapped mean?
Definition of kneecapping : the act or practice of shooting or otherwise maiming or crippling a person's knees (as by gunshot)
What is another word for shin bone?
•body (noun) tibia, shinbone, shin bone.
What is another name of thigh bone?
The thigh bone, or femur, is the large upper leg bone that connects the lower leg bones (knee joint) to the pelvic bone (hip joint).
What is the other name for collar bone?
clavicle, also called collarbone, curved anterior bone of the shoulder (pectoral) girdle in vertebrates; it functions as a strut to support the shoulder.
Where did the word patella come from?
The word patella originated in the late 17th century from the diminutive form of Latin patina or patena or paten, meaning shallow dish.
What is the patella of the knee?
The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as mice, cats, birds and dogs, but not in whales, or most reptiles . In humans, the patella is the largest ...
Why does my kneecap hurt?
The kneecap is prone to injury because of its particularly exposed location, and fractures of the patella commonly occur as a consequence of direct trauma onto the knee. These fractures usually cause swelling and pain in the region, bleeding into the joint ( hemarthrosis ), and an inability to extend the knee.
What is the upper third of the patella?
The upper third of the front of the patella is coarse, flattened, and rough, and serves for the attachment of the tendon of the quadriceps and often has exostoses. The middle third has numerous vascular canaliculi. The lower third culminates in the apex which serves as the origin of the patellar ligament. The posterior surface is divided into two parts.
What is the apex of the patella?
The patella is a sesamoid bone roughly triangular in shape, with the apex of the patella facing downwards. The apex is the most inferior (lowest) part of the patella. It is pointed in shape, and gives attachment to the patellar ligament .
Which cartilage is thickest in the human body?
Owing to the great stress on the patellofemoral joint during resisted knee flexion, the articular cartilage of the patella is among the thickest in the human body. The lower part of the posterior surface has vascular canaliculi filled and is filled by fatty tissue, the infrapatellar fat pad .
How thick is the patella?
In the adult the articular surface is about 12 cm 2 (1.9 sq in) and covered by cartilage, which can reach a maximal thickness of 6 mm (0.24 in) in the centre at about 30 years of age. Owing to the great stress on the patellofemoral joint during resisted knee flexion, the articular cartilage of the patella is among the thickest in the human body.
Overview
The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as mice, cats, birds and dogs, but not in whales, or most reptiles.
In humans, the patella is the largest sesamoid bone (i.e., embedded within a tendon or a muscle) …
Structure
The patella is a sesamoid bone roughly triangular in shape, with the apex of the patella facing downwards. The apex is the most inferior (lowest) part of the patella. It is pointed in shape, and gives attachment to the patellar ligament.
The front and back surfaces are joined by a thin margin and towards centre by a thicker margin. The tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle attaches to the base of the patella., with the vastus i…
Function
The primary functional role of the patella is knee extension. The patella increases the leverage that the quadriceps tendon can exert on the femur by increasing the angle at which it acts.
The patella is attached to the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle, which contracts to extend/straighten the knee. The patella is stabilized by the insertion of the horizontal fibres of vastus medialis and by the prominence of the lateral femoral condyle, which discourages lateral …
Clinical significance
Patellar dislocations occur with significant regularity, particularly in young female athletes. It involves the patella sliding out of its position on the knee, most often laterally, and may be associated with extremely intense pain and swelling. The patella can be tracked back into the groove with an extension of the knee, and therefore sometimes returns into the proper position on its own.
In animals
The patella is found in placental mammals and birds; most marsupials have only rudimentary, non-ossified patellae although a few species possess a bony patella. A patella is also present in the living monotremes, the platypus and the echidna. In more primitive tetrapods, including living amphibians and most reptiles (except some Lepidosaurs), the muscle tendons from the upper leg are attached directly to the tibia, and a patella is not present. In 2017 it was discovered that frogs have …
Etymology
The word patella originated in the late 17th century from the diminutive form of Latin patina or patena or paten, meaning shallow dish.
See also
• Patellar reflex
• Knee pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Lateral retinaculum
• Lateral release