What does patella articulate with

List of Partners vendors. The patella, most commonly referred to as the kneecap, is the largest sesamoid bone in the body. This tendon helps hold the patella in place along with other muscles found in and near the quadriceps so it can do its most important job, protect the knee joint.

The patella bone goes through the process of ossifying turning into bone between the ages of three and six years old. 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, 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. 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. 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. This cartilage offers protection on top of added mobility with any knee movements. Most of the anatomical variations of the patella have to deal with the shape of the bone itself. These include:. There are three types of anatomical variations in a healthy patella based on the size and symmetry of the patella itself.

The main job of the patella is to help with knee extension and movement, while offering protection for the knee joint. In the case of knee extension, this movement happens by the patella offering leverage that the quadriceps tendons it's attached to can put on the femur.

In terms of protection, the patella gives the front of the knee joint support during activities like exercise or even from daily wear and tear from walking and stepping. Patella injuries can be relatively common , particularly in those who are extremely active and put a lot of extra stress or pressure on the bone through running, exercising, and competitive sports. Two of the most common conditions related to the patella are patellar tendonitis and patella dislocations.

Those who may be suffering from patellar tendonitis will experience pain in their patella, which will start when doing selected activities and may increase to interfere with daily movements, such as walking and going up and down stairs.

This pain is caused by tiny tears happening in the patellar tendon which causes inflammation and weakening. For a patella dislocation , the patella will slip outside its grooved position inside the leg. This causes pain and swelling, as well as possibly tearing the ligaments that hold the patella in place from popping out of its location.

Some people may not have a complete patella dislocation, but they can experience a patellar subluxation. This occurs when the patella doesn't dislocate from its groove entirely but does have difficulty moving within its groove tracking which causes pain and swelling. Knipe, H. Reference article, Radiopaedia. URL of Article. On this page:. Quiz questions. Rosse C, Gaddum-Rosse P. Hollinshead's textbook of anatomy. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 2. Imaging of patellar fractures.

Patello-femoral joint mechanics and pathology. Chondromalacia patellae. British volume. Pubmed 4. Clinically oriented anatomy. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 5.

Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 6. Normal patellar retinaculum: MR and sonographic imaging with cadaveric correlation. Scapinelli R. Blood supply of the human patella. Its relation to ischaemic necrosis after fracture.

J Bone Joint Surg Br. Pubmed citation 8. The arterial supply and venous drainage of the bones of the human knee joint. The act or process by which articulate sounds are uttered; the utterance of articulate sounds; articulate speech. Your Patella is a sesamoid bone. The patella is the knee cap. The tibia and fibular are the bones immediately inferior to the patella.

The tarsals, metatarsals, and phalanges are also inferior to the patella. The patella is the fancy term for your knee-cap. The patella is inferior to the metacarpals. You're patella is your kneecap. No, the patella sits in front of the femur. Yes, the patella is distal to the femur. This is because the patella is more distant than the femur to the attachment point to the trunk of the body.

You can also say the femur is proximal to the patella. Log in. Literary Terminology. Example Sentences. The Difference Between. See Answer. Best Answer. Study guides. Q: What does the patella articulate with? Write your answer Related questions. How many bones articulate with femur and patella?

What bones articulate at the knee joint? Where in a body is the patella? How big is the patella?