Tendon · Knee

Patellar tendon

Ligamentum patellae

The short, strong strap running from the bottom of the kneecap to the bump on the front of the shin. It is the last link in the quadriceps chain: the thigh muscles pull the kneecap, the kneecap pulls this tendon, and this tendon straightens the knee. Anatomists usually call it the patellar *ligament* because it joins bone to bone, but functionally it is a tendon — it carries muscle force. Because everything the quadriceps does passes through this one narrow band, it is a classic site of jumping- and landing-related pain.