**Longest and heaviest bone in the body**
**Large, weight bearing (shin bone)**
**The patella provides leverage for the quadriceps muscles by placing the
tendon anterior to the joint’s axis. This creates a mechanical advantage**
*ACL- anterior cruciate ligament
*PCL- posterior cruciate ligament
prepatellar
suprapatellar
A flattened sac
containing a lubricating
fluid that reduces friction
between two moving
structures in the body, as
a tendon and a bone.
deep infrapatellar
subcutaneous
infrapatellar
Thick fibrous band from apex of patella to
tibial tuberosity
Also called the patellar tendon
Patellar ligament
**Allows the menisci to move together during knee movements**
Clinical Concern: ACL

Women are 4 to 6 times more likely to suffer
an ACL injury than men (playing the same
sport)

Numerous theories include social factors,
hormonal factors, differences in
quadriceps/hamstring strength, anatomical
differences in LE, and biomechanical
differences while running and jumping.
Clinical Concern: ACL

ACL repairs are made with grafts:
1.
Autograft- using a tendon from your own body
(patellar, hamstring)
2.
Allograft- tendon from a cadaver

Recovery ranges from 4 to 12 months, depends on a
lot of factors (age, health status)

Arthroscopic surgery is most common, although
some surgeons perform open surgery with a larger
incision.
Origin
Medial and lateral condyles of
femur
Insertion
Posterior Calcaneus
Action
flex knee
Innervation
Tibial nerve
Vascular supply
Popliteal artery
*See pg. 361 and 365 Essential of clinical
anatomy for additional pictures