Knee A to Z

A parrot-beak tear of the meniscus is an oblique tear of the knee meniscus where the torn end rounds off to resemble a parrot's beak.

A partial knee arthroplasty is a surgical procedure where part of the knee joint is removed and replaced with an implant. It is the same thing as a partial knee replacement.

A partial knee replacement (or unicompartmental knee replacement) replaces one region (compartment) of the knee with a metal and plastic implant.

A partial meniscal replacement substitutes an irreparably-damage portion of meniscus with a substitute, such as tissue-engineered collagen.

A partial meniscectomy is the removal of a part of a knee meniscus. Page updated July 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)

Passive extension is the activity of assessing the amount of knee extension possible without muscle contraction, and a passive extension stretch is an exercise to keep the tissues mobile while the extensor muscles are being rehabilitated.

A paste graft is a technique of cartilage repair, using cartilage and bone from a less important part of the knee joint and which has been ground up ('morcelised') and packed into the cartilage defect.

The patella is the kneecap, the bone sitting over the front of the knee. Plural = 'patellae'.

In patella alta the kneecap rides too high up on the femur (thigh bone). This may make it liable to sublux or even dislocate.

Patella baja is a kneecap that is positioned abnormally low in relation to the groove of the femur. It is also known as patella infera or infrapatellar contracture syndrome.