Patella Flashcards
True or false?
The patella is the smallest sesamoid bone!
Wrong, the patella is the biggest sesamoid bone in the human body.
A sesamoid bone is a bone that is contained within a tendon.
Where does the apex of the patella point to? What structure attaches to it?
The apex is pointed inferiorly, the patellar ligament.
Where does the base of the patella point to?
It is pointed above, broad and thick, it is the attachment of the quadratus femoris muscle.
If you remember, the quadratus femoris originates from the lateral of the ischium and attaches to the quadratus tubercle on the trochanteric crest.
Which patellar facet is bigger and why?
The lateral facet is bigger since it resists lateral rotation
What does the posterior aspect of the patella articulate with?
The femur
You can notice that the base is on top (closer to femur), and since the base is of course bigger, it makes sense that the lateral and medial facet would be there to utilize its space.
