Where is the patella located and what is its function?
The 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. The kneecap is an example of a bone we are all familiar with, and which has a significant functional role.
What does an injured patella feel like?
Pain and tenderness around your patellar tendon. Swelling. Pain with jumping, running, or walking. Pain when bending or straightening the leg.
What is the function of patella?
The patella plays the following role at the knee joint: Functions primarily as an anatomic pulley for the quadriceps muscle.It increases the lever arm of the extensor mechanism allowing for more effective knee flexion and thus increase quadriceps strength by 33–50%.
What are the symptoms of a damaged patella?
The symptoms of a patella fracture may include:Pain around the kneecap or in the knee.Bruising.Swelling, which can be severe, even with relatively minor kneecap fractures.Inability to bend or straighten the knee or to hold the leg out straight.Inability to bear weight, stand or walk.More items...
Can you walk with a torn patella?
Small tendon tears can make it difficult to walk and participate in other daily activities. A large tear of the patellar tendon is a disabling injury. It usually requires surgery and physical therapy afterward to regain full knee function.
How long does it take for a patella injury to heal?
Undisplaced patella fractureHealing:The fracture will take 6 weeks to heal. Some pain and swelling may be on going for 3-6 months.Pain and Swelling:Your knee may be swollen. Resting and elevating your leg will help. Take pain killers as prescribed.5 more rows
Can you injure your patella?
An acute injury to the patella (kneecap) can happen from a blow to the knee or a fall. There may be damage to the soft tissues, such as a patellar tendon tear, or a fracture to the bone. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, or a feeling of instability or that the joint is locked.
Do you keep your patella with a knee replacement?
After you receive anesthesia, your surgeon will make a cut over your knee to open it up. This cut is often 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) long. Then your surgeon will: Move your kneecap (patella) out of the way, then cut the ends of your thigh bone and shin (lower leg) bone to fit the replacement part.
What is patella fracture?
A patellar fracture is a break in the patella, or kneecap, the small bone that sits at the front of your knee. Because the patella acts as a shield for your knee joint, it is more likely to break if you fall directly onto your knee or hit it against the dashboard in a car accident.
How do you relieve patella pain?
Treatment of patellofemoral pain often begins with simple measures. Rest your knee as much as possible. Avoid or modify activities that increase the pain, such as climbing stairs, kneeling or squatting....TherapyRehabilitation exercises. ... Supportive braces. ... Taping. ... Ice. ... Knee-friendly sports.
How do you heal patella?
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.
What is the best painkiller for knee pain?
Over-the-counter medications — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — may help ease knee pain. Some people find relief by rubbing the affected knee with creams containing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, or capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers hot.
Where is the patella located?
Anatomy. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body and it lies within the quadriceps tendon in front of the knee joint. The bone originates from multiple ossification centres that develop from the ages of three to six, which rapidly coalesce. The patella is a thick, flat, triangular bone with its apex pointing downwards.
What is the patella of the knee?
The 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. The kneecap is an example of a bone we are all familiar with, and which has a significant functional role. In this article we will discuss the anatomy ...
What muscle is involved in knee jerk?
Patellar reflex also known as knee jerk is the contraction of quadriceps femoris muscle resulting in the extension of knee joint. The myotome that causes knee extension is L2-4 i.e. the femoral the lower two divisions of the femoral nerve. The patient is asked to relax their knee, and the patella ligament (below the tibial tuberosity, and above the tibial shaft) is struck.
What stabilizes the patella?
The patella is stabilized by the horizontal fibers of vastus medialis, as well as the anterior projection of the lateral femoral condyle. The tension in the medial patellar retinaculum also helps in its stability. For more details about the anatomy of the patella, take a look below: Tibia and fibula Explore study unit.
What is the attachment of the quadriceps muscle?
The attachment of the quadriceps muscle if found on the superior surface extends distally onto the anterior surface. The rough marking found at the lateral and medial borders of the patella represent the attachments of vasti lateralis and medialis, and those at the apex represent the attachment of the patellar ligament.
What is the pain in the lower apex of the patella?
It is one of the juvenile osteochondroses, and causes anterior knee pain. It is commonest in children aged twelve to fourteen years of age, and among those children that play a lot of sports. The same kind of symptoms have been reported where the quadriceps inserts onto the base of the patella. A similar disease process occurs at the tibial tuberosity, and is known as Osgood-Schlatter disease.
What is tenderness of the apex of the patella?
This is tenderness of the apex (lower pole) of the patella after repetitive pulling by the patellar ligament. It is one of the juvenile osteochondroses, and causes anterior knee pain. It is commonest in children aged twelve to fourteen years of age, and among those children that play a lot of sports. The same kind of symptoms have been reported where the quadriceps inserts onto the base of the patella. A similar disease process occurs at the tibial tuberosity, and is known as Osgood-Schlatter disease.
Patella Definition
The patella is a thick, flat bone with a triangular shape and is found at the front of the knee joint of an individual. This bone is popularly known as the kneecap. The term 'patella' originated from the Latin word 'patina', which means shallow pan or dish.
Where is the Patella Located?
The patella is located within the patellofemoral groove of the thighbone or femur. This small bone mainly lies at the front side of the knee joint, where the femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone) meet.
What is the patella?
The patella is commonly referred to as the kneecap. It is a small, freestanding, bone that rests between the femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone).
What sports have patella injuries?
Injuries tend to be more pronounced in high impact sports. For example, patella-related injuries are common in sports like football, mixed martial arts, and wrestling. Last medically reviewed on January 23, 2018.
What is the role of the femur in the knee?
The kneecap plays a vital role in how the knee bends, in addition to most motions that require movement of the leg . If the patella or the tendon associated ...
Can a dislocated kneecap hurt?
If dislocated, the kneecap can no longer slide along the thighbone’s grooves, which can aggravate and damage cartilage on both the femur and the tibia. Dislocation and other traumatic injuries are common among athletes and other people who are extremely physically active.
Where is the patella located?
Location. The patella sits between the femur and tibia , not only protecting the knee joint but connecting muscles in the front of the femur to the tibia. Under the patella and the at the end of the femur is articular cartilage, which makes it possible for the patella and femur bones to move alongside each other.
What is the name of the area where the patella grows larger than it should be for the space it lives in?
Hyperplastic properties, where the patella grows larger than it should be for the space it lives in (known as patella magna). Hunter’s cap patella, where the lateral side of the patella takes up the anterior surface of the bone.
What is the joint that connects the femur to the thigh?
This makes the femur become a joint facet, as it also connects with a medial and lateral condyle of the femur. The patella is also attached by the vastus lateralis and medialis, which are muscles in the thigh. From the apex of the patella comes the patellar ligament, which connects to the front of the tibia (shin bone).
What is the largest sesamoid bone in the body?
Rehabilitation. The patella, most commonly referred to as the kneecap, is the largest sesamoid bone in the body. A sesamoid bone is one that is embedded in a tendon and, in the patella’s case, it exists within the quadriceps tendon. This tendon helps hold the patella in place along with other muscles found in and near the quadriceps so it can do ...
What is the apex of the patella?
The apex, or point, of the patella points downward towards the shin while the base of the bone sits upward towards the thigh. The base is also what attaches to the quadriceps tendon. The back of the patella forms a joint with the femur, otherwise known as the thighbone. This makes the femur become a joint facet, ...
What muscle is in the middle of the knee?
Muscles in the thigh, parts of the femur, and a tendon in the knee, referred to as medial patellar retinaculum and that crosses the knee joint in the middle of the patella, all work together to keep the patella stabilized.
What connects the tibia to the patella?
From the apex of the patella comes the patellar ligament, which connects to the front of the tibia (shin bone). The middle of the patella consists of openings for arteries to supply blood to the kneecap. Muscles in the thigh, parts of the femur, and a tendon in the knee, referred to as medial patellar retinaculum and that crosses the knee joint in the middle of the patella, all work together to keep the patella stabilized.
Where is the patella located?
The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body and is located anterior to knee joint within the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle , providing an attachment point for both the quadriceps tendon and the patellar ligament.
What is the patella in the knee?
During extension from a fully flexed position, the patella initially serves primari ly as a link between the quadriceps tendon and the patellar ligament, allowing the quadriceps to generate torque on the tibia. However, twice as much torque is needed for the final 15 degrees of extension compared to that which is required to get to that point from full flexion, and the patella helps achieve this by increasing the moment arm during extension. By displacing the quadriceps tendon-patellar ligament linkage away from the axis of knee rotation, the effective moment arm is increased, which contributes an additional 60% of torque that is needed for the last 15 degrees of knee extension. [1]
What is the patella alignment?
The static alignment of the patella depends on the depth of the femoral sulcus, the height of the lateral femoral condyle wall, and the shape of the patella. Gross alignment of the patella is often assessed in the supine position with the knee in full extension since there is minimal contact between the femur and patella, and the patella is the most mobile in this position. With the knee in full extension, the patella usually lies superior to the trochlea and in the middle of the two condyles, although there may be a slight lateral deviation. When the knee is in slight flexion, the patella should lie at or slightly proximal to the joint line. In this position when the knee is bent to 30 degrees, the ratio of patellar ligament length compared to the patellar height should be around 1.0. A ratio significantly lower or greater than 1.0 may be indicative of patella baja or patella alta respectively. Individuals with patella alta are at greater risk for patellar subluxation. Each border of the patella should also be equidistant from the femur. Anterior or posterior tilt is described by the position of the inferior pole of the patella in the sagittal plane. Depression of the inferior pole is referred to as an inferior tilt, while the elevation of the inferior pole is referred to as superior tilt. Inferior tilt may pinch or irritate the patellar fat pad deep in the patellar ligament and cause pain. In the transverse plane, lateral or medial tilt refers to depression of either the lateral or medial border of the patella, respectively. Lateral tilt can lead to patellofemoral compression syndrome. Rotation of the patella is described by the direction of rotation of the inferior pole. Lateral or medial rotation of the patella may suggest underlying torsion of the tibia. [2]
How many facets are there in the patella?
The articular surface of the patella consists of 7 facets: 3 medial and 3 lateral facets that articulate with the femoral groove when the knee is flexed, and a facet on the medial border that only articulates with the medial femoral condyle in deep knee flexion when patellar rotation is beyond 90 degrees.
How does the patella help the quadriceps?
The patella primarily functions to improve quadriceps efficiency by acting as a fulcrum to increase the moment arm of the extensor mechanism of the knee. In physics, a moment refers to the tendency of a force to cause rotation of an object around a specific point or axis; it is equal to the product of a force and its moment arm, the perpendicular distance from the line of action of that force to the axis of rotation. The force required for knee extension (torque) is directly dependent on the moment arm of the knee joint, the perpendicular distance between the patellar ligament and the axis of rotation at the knee. [1]
What is the function of patella?
The patella primarily functions to improve the effective extension capacity of the quadriceps muscle by increasing the moment arm of the patellar ligament. Additionally, the patella protects the quadriceps tendon from frictional forces by minimizing tendon contact with the femur and acts as a bony shield for deeper structures in the knee joint. ...
What is the position of the inferior pole of the patella called?
Anterior or posterior tilt is described by the position of the inferior pole of the patella in the sagittal plane. Depression of the inferior pole is referred to as an inferior tilt, while the elevation of the inferior pole is referred to as superior tilt.
