Table of Contents
What is the function of patella?
Functions of the patella 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 does the patella ligament do?
It extends the knee, and one head (rectus femoris) flexes the hip. The patella is a sesamoid bone that lies within the quadriceps tendon. The patellar tendon connects the apex of the patella to the tibial tuberosity, and improves the way the quadriceps muscle pulls on the tibia.
What is the function of the patellar surface of the femur?
Function. The primary functional role of the patella is knee extension. The patella increases the leverage that the quadriceps tendon can exert on the femur by increasing the angle at which it acts. The patella is attached to the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle, which contracts to extend/straighten the knee.
Why is the patella a sesamoid bone?
The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body. Sesamoids act like pulleys, providing a smooth surface for tendons to slide over, increasing the tendon’s ability to transmit muscular forces. The sesamoid is a small nodular bone most often present embedded in tendons in the region of the thumb.
What attaches the patella to the tibia?
Muscles are connected to bones by tendons. The patellar tendon attaches the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the top of the shinbone (tibia). When a structure connects one bone to another, it is actually a ligament, so the patellar tendon is sometimes called the patellar ligament.
Is the tibia a sesamoid bone?
The sesamoid bone ligament complex of foot contains two sesamoid bones one medial tibial sesamoid and other lateral fibular sesamoid bone, both embedded in the plantar ligament beneath first metatarsal head.
Is the patella the knee cap?
Overview. The patellofemoral (kneecap) joint is made up of two bones: the patella (the kneecap) and the femur (the thighbone). When the knee bends and straightens, the patella glides along a groove on the femur called the trochlea. Some people have differences in the way the kneecap and this bone fit together.
How does the patella protect the knee?
The patella rides in the tendon of the quadriceps femoris—the largest muscle of the thigh and the primary extensor of the knee. The patella functions to protect the knee joint, to lengthen the lever arm of the quadriceps femoris, and to increase the area of contact between the patellar ligament and the femur.