Patellae

Written by Dr Sheila Strover on March 14, 2025

Patellae is the plural of 'patella', or 'kneecap'.

Situation of the patella

Each patella is situated within the tendon of its quadriceps muscle, secured to the tibia via the patellar tendon, and subject to the forces of the quadriceps muscle, held in place within the groove as the knee bends and straightens.

Illustration of a side view of the attachment of the patellar tendon, showing the situation of the patellar bone within the tendon.

This small bone is snugged into the underlying trochlear groove of the femur, where it is held in place by other soft tissue structures -

Illustration of a skyline view of the patella, showing how it snugs into the underlying trochlear groove.

A-Z Keywords

Extensor mechanism, Patellar tendon, Patellar instability, Q-angle, Squinting patellae, Suprapatellar pouch, Patellar fracture, Patellar tendon rupture, Quads tendon rupture, Patella baja, Patella alta

Primers -

Expert contributions -

Dr Lee Herrington - 2013 - Why does my kneecap (patella) hurt?

eBooks -

Dr Lars Blønd - Factors contributing to an unstable patella

Video -