The patella is a thick, triangular bone which articulates with the femur and covers and protects the knee joint. It is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body. It is attached to the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle, which contracts to extend/straighten the knee. The vastus intermedialis muscle is attached to the base of patella. The vastus lateralis and vastus medialis are attached to lateral and medial borders of patella respectively.

The patella is stabilized by the insertion of vastus medialis and the prominence of the anterior femoral condyles, which prevent lateral dislocation during flexion. The retinacular fibres of the patella also stabilize it during exercise.

The primary functional role of the patella is knee extension. The patella increases the leverage that the tendon can exert on the femur by increasing the angle at which it acts.

The patella ossifies between the ages 2-6 years. In some people it may be absent congenitally or hypoplastic. In 2% of the population there is a bipartite patella, which is usually asymptomatic. Direct trauma, however, may produce symptoms that mimic those of a fracture.

Regarding non-human animals, the patella has convergently evolved in placental mammals and birds; marsupials have only rudimentary, non-ossified patellae.^[1]

See also

• Patellar reflex
• Lateral retinaculum

Additional images

<gallery> Image:Illu lower extremity.jpg|Lower extremity Image:Patella_ant.jpg|Left patella - anterior aspect Image:Patella_post.jpg|Left patella - posterior aspect Image:Gray345.png|Right knee-joint. Anterior view. Image:Gray350.png|Sagittal section of right knee-joint. Image:Gray351.png|Capsule of right knee-joint (distended). Lateral aspect. Image:Gray1238.png|Front and medial aspect of right thigh. Image:Gray1240.png|Lateral aspect of right leg. </gallery>

References

1. ↑

External links

• The KNEEguru - educational site packed with knee content with sections on the patella

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