patella

     

The patella or kneecap is a thick, triangular bone which articulates with the femur an 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.

Trivia about patella

  • This small, flat, triangular bone in the knee is not directly connected with any other bone
  • Also called the kneecap, it's an example of a sesamoid bone because it's encased in tendons
  • This alternate name for the kneecap is from the Latin for "little plate"
  • It's the medical name for the knee cap
  • Although located near the femur & the fibula, it's not directly connected to either bone
  • It's the flat, movable bone at the front of the knee
  • A sharp blow or even a fall can cause this bone, also called the kneecap, to become dislocated
  • Also called the kneecap, this flat, triangle-shaped bone is at the front of the knee joint
  • "Gray's Anatomy" tells us this bone is embedded in the tendon of the Quadriceps femoris
  • From Latin, this important bone's name means "small shallow dish"

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