![]() The upper three-quarters of the patella articulates with the femur and is subdivided into a medial and a lateral facet by a vertical ledge which varies in shape. The posterior surface is divided into two parts. ![]() The lower third culminates in the apex which serves as the origin of the patellar ligament. The middle third has numerous vascular canaliculi. The upper third of the front of the patella is coarse, flattened, and rough, and serves for the attachment of the tendon of the quadriceps and often has exostoses. The tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle attaches to the base of the patella., with the vastus intermedius muscle attaching to the base itself, and the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis are attached to outer lateral and medial borders of patella respectively. The front and back surfaces are joined by a thin margin and towards centre by a thicker margin. It is pointed in shape, and gives attachment to the patellar ligament. ![]() The apex is the most inferior (lowest) part of the patella. The patella is a sesamoid bone roughly triangular in shape, with the apex of the patella facing downwards. Babies are born with a patella of soft cartilage which begins to ossify into bone at about four years of age. In humans, the patella is the largest sesamoid bone (i.e., embedded within a tendon or a muscle) in the body. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as mice, cats, birds and dogs, but not in whales, or most reptiles. The patella ( PL: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint.
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