Patella (Patella)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
A triangular sesamoid bone sitting in front of the knee joint inside the quadriceps tendon. It increases the lever arm of knee extension and protects the front of the joint, gliding over the femoral trochlear groove as the knee flexes and extends.
Clinical notes
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (historically chondromalacia patellae) is common in athletes; lateral patellar dislocation may follow acute twisting. Its articular cartilage is among the thickest in the body (up to ~6 mm), enduring patellofemoral reaction forces of several times body weight on stairs.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Patella?
A triangular sesamoid bone sitting in front of the knee joint inside the quadriceps tendon. It increases the lever arm of knee extension and protects the front of the joint, gliding over the femoral trochlear groove as the knee flexes and extends.
Why is the Patella clinically important?
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (historically chondromalacia patellae) is common in athletes; lateral patellar dislocation may follow acute twisting. Its articular cartilage is among the thickest in the body (up to ~6 mm), enduring patellofemoral reaction forces of several times body weight on stairs.
Source & license
Derived from Z-Anatomy (Gauthier Kervyn et al.), CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); upstream geometry from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science. license details