Patella
• The fingertips of both hands are placed in the popliteal fosse with the thumbs resting on the patient’s patella.
What our notes say
- • The fingertips of both hands are placed in the popliteal fosse with the thumbs resting on the patient’s patella. (Cardiovascular system examination revised 2012 — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- | What to bring | Stethoscope, torch, patella hammer and other examination tools | (Psychiatry and Mental Health Curriculum: Year 4 (MKU))
- Surface landmarks: patella (kneecap), patellar tendon, medial joint line, lateral joint line, quadriceps muscle, hamstring muscle group, tibia, anterior tibial tuberosity (insertion of the patellar tendon), and femur. (muscuskeletal exam — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- With a hand on the patella during extension and flexion, osteoarthritis may produce a palpable grinding sensation (crepitus). (muscuskeletal exam — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- If Q = saphenous nerve: purely sensory; supplies the knee joint via the subsartorial plexus, skin over the front of the patella, and the anteromedial leg (Aponeurosis — Anatomy Question Bank)
- If Q = vastus medialis (oblique fibres): pulls the patella medially, resisting lateral dislocation (Aponeurosis — Anatomy Question Bank)