Joint · Knee
Patellofemoral joint
Articulatio patellofemoralis
Reviewed by Dr. Ryan Rietz, D.P.T. and Dr. John Breyman, D.C.
Where the kneecap glides in its groove on the front of the thigh bone. The patella is a sesamoid bone — it grew inside the quadriceps tendon — and it carries the thickest articular cartilage in the body, which tells you how much load passes through it. Its job is leverage: by holding the quadriceps tendon away from the joint's centre of rotation, it makes the muscle a more efficient knee straightener. It shares a capsule and joint cavity with the knee proper, so the two are effectively one space.
Also known as
- kneecap joint
- PFJ
- patella joint
- kneecap