Which tendon does the patella form within

Therefore, both tendons are instrumental in allowing people to perform activities such as climbing stairs, walking, running, and jumping. Tendinopathy is a common overuse injury caused by repeated and prolonged stress on a tendon. This repeated stress micro-trauma on the tendon can lead to the tendon becoming thickened and tiny tears developing in the tendon. The body attempts to repair these tiny tears, but if the rate of breakdown within the tendon exceeds the rate of repair, this can lead to pain and dysfunction.

However, quadriceps and patellar tendinopathy can occur in any individual who is active, especially those who may have recently increased their physical activity. Patellar tendinopathy and quadriceps tendinopathy are characterized by:. The initial treatment for quadriceps and patellar tendinopathy involves relative rest by decreasing the frequency of activity or avoiding the activities that put stress on the tendons such as running and jumping.

Cross training activities that involve lower loads on the tendon such as cycling or swimming can typically be performed in order to maintain cardiovascular fitness while avoiding or decreasing the frequency of the activities that cause pain.

Physical therapy is a very important component in the treatment of patellar and quadriceps tendinopathy. Performing specific strengthening exercises, such as eccentric exercises or heavy slow resistance training that is designed to gradually increase the load through the quadriceps and patellar tendons over time, allows the tendons to become stronger.

This allows the tendons to better handle the high stresses placed on them with activities such as running and jumping. Stretching exercises can also be beneficial if there are tight muscles in the thigh. In addition, improving running technique and landing technique when jumping can be beneficial. 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.

For patellar tendonitis, there are a number of ways to treat and rehabilitate the patella. Depending on the severity of the pain and tendonitis options range from over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen to physical therapy to help stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons surrounding the patella.

For more serious cases, your healthcare provider may opt for a corticosteroid injection to help relieve pain or even surgery if repairs to the tendons surrounding the patella need to be made. For a patella dislocation, the only way to remedy this condition is to relocate the patella back into its groove. This may happen quickly on its own shortly after dislocation or with the assistance of a medical professional.

With dislocation, tendon tearing and fragments of bone may come loose. While tendon tears usually repair on its own, bone fragments will likely need to be removed surgically. If there are no fragments resulting from dislocation the usual treatment consists of immobilizing the knee until the swelling decreases roughly three to six weeks along with taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications NSAIDs to help with any pain or discomfort.

For those who are experiencing patellar subluxation, treatment ranges from physical therapy to braces and tape to help guide the patella. Surgery may also be required depending on how severe the misalignment is or if it leads to frequent patellar dislocations. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Cox Chandler. Hubbard John. The patella plural: patellae is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body. The patella is triangular in shape with a superior base and inferior apex.

The proximal three-quarters of the posterior surface is smooth, composed of articular cartilage, which is the thickest in the body, as much as 5 mm in some adults. The distal pole of the posterior surface of the patella does not functionally form part of the joint and is denuded of cartilage 2.

The posterior surface is divided into medial and lateral facets by a vertical ridge. The medial most portion of the medial facet lacks articular cartilage and is known as the odd facet 2,3.

The ossification centers of the patella appear between 3 and 6 years. They fuse at puberty, with higher levels of physical activity. The medial and lateral facets of the patella are covered in hyaline cartilage and articulate with the medial and lateral condyles of the femur , respectively, to form the patellofemoral component of the knee joint. Some authors describe the medial facet as having superior, middle, inferior and lateral portions and the lateral facet as having superior, middle and inferior portions subfacets 4.

The lateral facet is larger than the medial, which allows for side identification when the bone is placed posterior surface down on a flat surface 5. The patella serves for attachment of the quadriceps tendon superiorly and the patellar tendon which attaches to the tibial tubercle, inferiorly , although few quadriceps tendon fibers are continuous over the anterior surface. The quadriceps tendon and patellar tendon are really the same structure with the patella as a sesamoid bone embedded within it.

The medial and lateral patellar retinaculum, which are condensations of fascia rather than true ligaments, attach the patella margins to surrounding fascia.

The lateral patellar retinaculum is attached to the fascia of vastus lateralis and iliotibial band 6. The quadriceps muscles pull the patella obliquely and laterally in relation to the femur. There are factors that prevent such displacement: larger lateral condyle of the femur, tension in the medial retinacular fibers and direction of insertion of fibers of the vastus medialis muscle.

The medial patellofemoral ligament MPFL originates near adductor tubercle of the femur and inserts into the superomedial aspect of the patella. Its function is to prevent lateral patellar dislocation during knee extension. Arterial blood enters via the anterior surface of the patella and an anastomotic patella ring is formed supplied by the paired superior and inferior geniculate arteries as well as the anterior tibial recurrent artery 7. In general the draining veins are the counterparts to the aforementioned arteries.

In addition there is a complementary system of veins running deep to the articular cartilage forming a subarticular drainage network 8. Please Note: You can also scroll through stacks with your mouse wheel or the keyboard arrow keys. Updating… Please wait. Unable to process the form.