Questions: Patella The Funky Professor videos can be found here: http://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/funkyprofessor

1. Questions
Patella

2. 1 is a sesamoid bone in the tendon of sartorius
2 has a bursa situated anterior to it
3 has a vertical ridge on its posterior (articular) surface
4 tends to be pulled laterally during extension of the knee joint
5 is cartilaginous at birth
The Patella

3. 1 is a sesamoid bone in the tendon of sartorius
F
2 has a bursa situated anterior to it
T
3 has a vertical ridge on its posterior (articular) surface
T
4 tends to be pulled laterally during extension of the knee joint
T
5 is cartilaginous at birth
T
The Patella
The patella is a sesamoid bone in the quadriceps tendon, not the tendon of Sartorius.
The bursa is called the prepatellar bursa. Inflammation of this bursa results in a painful condition termed
pre-patellar bursitis (once known as ‘housemaid’s knee’!) In the days before the advent of such mod-cons as
the vacuum cleaner, motorised rotary mops and plush shagpile carpets, house maids had to kneel (on their
patellas) on hard floors for long periods as they painstakingly scrubbed their employers’ large homes. You
can see why the condition was especially common among housemaids of that generation!

4. 1 its articular (posterior) surface is covered in fibrocartilage
2 its articular surface is divided by a vertical ridge into a large medial area and a smaller
lateral area
3 vastus medialis muscle fibres attach directly to its medial border
4 vastus lateralis muscle fibres attach directly to its lateral border
5 it is nearly fully ossified at birth
Concerning the Patella

5. 1 its articular (posterior) surface is covered in fibrocartilage
F
2 its articular surface is divided by a vertical ridge into a large medial area and a smaller
lateral area F
3 vastus medialis muscle fibres attach directly to its medial border
T
4 vastus lateralis muscle fibres attach directly to its lateral border
F
5 it is nearly fully ossified at birth
F
Concerning the Patella
The articular surface of the patella is covered in hyaline cartilage, not fibrocartilage.
The articular surface of the patella is indeed divided into two areas by a vertical ridge: however, it is the
lateral area that is typically larger – L for Lateral, L for larger!
The attachment of vastus medialis to the medial border of the patella is a very significant restraining factor
against any outward pull on the patella by the quadriceps.
The patella is entirely cartilaginous at birth and begins to ossify at about 3 years.

6. 1 it shows the posterior surface of the patella
2 it shows the anterior surface of the patella
3 the upper 2/3rds of this surface is covered in hyaline
cartlilage
4 the upper 2/3rds of this surface is covered in fibro-
cartlilage
5 this surface articulates with the medial and lateral
condyles of the tibia
Concerning this picture

7. 1 it shows the posterior surface of the patella
T
2 it shows the anterior surface of the patella
F
3 the upper 2/3rds of this surface is covered in hyaline
cartlilage T
4 the upper 2/3rds of this surface is covered in fibro-
cartlilage F
5 this surface articulates with the medial and lateral
condyles of the tibia F
Concerning this picture
This is the posterior surface of the patella.
The upper two thirds is smooth and covered in articular hyaline cartilage. It
engages with the articular facets of the medial and lateral femoral condyles of
the femur, not the tibial condyles.
The upper two thirds’ of the posterior surface of the patella features a prominent
vertical ridge which divides the posterior surface into two articular areas: a
large lateral area and a smaller medial area.

8. 1 the arrow is pointing to the patellar apex
2 the patellar ligament attaches here
3 the vastus intermedius is attached to the lateral border of
the patella
4 A bursa usually overlies this surface
5 the patella is more mobile in the extended knee than in the
flexed knee
This picture shows the ventral surface of the right
Patella:

9. 1 the arrow is pointing to the patellar apex
T
2 the patellar ligament attaches here
T
3 the vastus intermedius is attached to the lateral border of
the patella F
4 A bursa usually overlies this surface
T
5 the patella is more mobile in the extended knee than in the
flexed knee T
This picture shows the ventral surface of the right
Patella: