Patella
To read about other bones of the feet and lower legs, use the links on the left-side of this page.
The patella is the lens-shaped (sometimes escribed as "triangular") bone that forms the kneecap.
It is located in the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle of the thigh where it lies in front of the "knee-joint" between the femur and the tibia (as shownd below).
For a diagram
showing its location relative to the fibula, tibia, femur, and other bones of the leg, ankle, and foot, see the simple sketch diagram below.
The functions of the patella include:
- increasing the leverage of the tendon of the quadriceps muscle
- maintaining the position of the tendon when the knee is flexed
- mechanically protecting the knee joint
More about Foot and Leg Bones:
This website includes many pages about bones and the skeletal system. The following pages may be of interest. These also link to further pages about related topics such as specific types of fractures, bone diseases and so on.
- Structures and Functions of Bones (an overview about the Skeletal System)
- Types of Bones, such as long bones, short bones, flat bones, etc.
- Bone Markings and Features on Bones of the Human Body
- Types of Joints, such as immoveable, slightly moveable and freely moveable joints
- Diagram of the Human Skeleton
- Overview of types of Conditions and Disorders of the Skeletal System
For further information see also our pages of books about orthopaedics.
