Introduction
The human body is made up of different kinds of bones. These bones perform different functions in the movement and coordination of the body parts. The patella, also commonly referred to as kneepan or kneecap is one of the bones in human structure. This circular-triangle and thick bone articulates with femur. It also protects and covers the anterior surface of the knee joint and is the largest type of sesamoid bone in the body of a human being. Patella is one of the most important bones in human beings that allows movement and lifting of weights. Without the bone, human beings cannot be able to coordinate or move from one place to another easily.
Location
The patella is located in the knee joints of a human body. The bone is among femur also called thighbone, and shinbone also referred to as tibia, which form the knee joint (Herlihy and Maebuis 34). At the point of contact of the three bones is a layer of cartilage that covers them. The layer of cartilage is important as it ensures that there is friction at the joints, which facilitates easy coordination. The bone is covered with tendon that joins the quadriceps its location muscles in the thighs of a person to the shin bone
Physiology of the patella
Tendons that form tuberculated outlines as it ossificates at its centers cover the patella. The bone has dense cancellous tissue, which helps in protecting the front of the joint and at the same time increasing the leverage or the movement of the quadriceps femoris as it triggers it to act at a bit greater angle (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2). Therefore, the bone is vital in proper functioning of the joints in the sense that it enhances easy coordination. In a mechanical perspective, the bone is proved to increase at an approximate of 30% in the strength of kicking or extension of the leg at the knee joint (Herlihy and Maebuis 44).
Anatomy of the bone
The bone has three borders namely an anterior, an apex and a posterior. Anterior surface of the bone is oval shaped and has small holes that allow free flow of nutrients in the body. Like any other parts of the body, patella also requires enough supply of nutrients to ensure that it carries out its functions well. It is also marked with longitudinal striea and has a rough surface. The extension of the surface has tendon that joins the superficial fibers of the ligament patella. Bursa separates the patella from the integument.
The Posterior surface
This is a smooth, articular and oval area above an oval, smooth and articular area that is subdivided into two parts by a ridge. The ridge of the bone lies besides on the groove of the patella. Of these facets, the lateral one is deeper and broader (Herlihy and Maebuis 46). On the other hand, under the articular surface, the areas are rough, non-articular and convex with its lower half being attached to the ligamentum patellae. Its upper half is separated by adipose tissue from the head of the tibia.
Borders
The patella has three categories of borders: superior or base border, the medial and lateral borders. A base border is sloped from behind, forward and downward. The border is also thick and serves the function by providing attachment to portions of the quadriceps femoris that is normally derived from the vastus intermdius and rectus femoris (WiseGeek 4). On the other hand, lateral and medial borders are thin and converge below.
Apex
This is also one of the important parts of the patella. This part of the bone is sharp pointed hence helps to provide support to the ligament patella.
Patella structure
Patella is made up of closely dense uniform cancellois tissues. These tissues are covered by a thin compact lamina. The cancelli beneath the anterior surface of the bone are arranged in an alphabet. Those found in the rest of the bone, however, radiate from this anterior surface outwards to other sections of the bone.
Duties of patella
The bone is joined by muscles to the ligaments. This helps in protecting the entire knee from unnecessary injuries. Te bone therefore facilitates movement of the legs from various directions. The bone is also responsible for protecting the knee from damages and any physical harm. For instance, if an individual is involved in an accident, the bone protects the person from incurring sever damage as the pain is absorbed by the skin. Therefore, the patella protects individuals from damage when they involve in activities such as sports and exercises.
Symptoms associated with the patella
Like any other part of the body, the patella also has some complications that may cause a lot of pain to an individual. In most cases, symptoms associated with the patella are noticed during activities such as walking on stairs especially down ward, when kneeling and when someone sits for a longer period. Some of the problems associated with the patella, and which may cause pain include chondromalacia patella, also known as runner’s knee. This may happen because of cartilage irritation on the kneecap. Another condition related to patella problem is housemaid’s knee. This is exhibited through inflammation and swellings on the front of the knees of an individual. These swellings are often as a result of over kneeling. Patellar subluxation is yet another disorder (Human anatomy 3). Those patients suffering from this disorder normally have patella that is not fitting in the grooves on the femur. Therefore, this disorder causes pain in such individuals. Kneecap dislocation is another disorder of patella. This disorder occurs when kneecap of an individual are completely out of their grove. Therefore, in circumstances that the knee dislocates the solution is to put back them into their groove.
Treatment of these problems
Treatment granted for these various disorders depends on the kind of diagnosis given. However, some general guidelines are required to be adhered to in case of development of such disorders. Allowing enough time to rest for the knee is one of the ways of treating the condition. Furthermore, cross training of individual is important as this will allow the individual to keep in good shape by taking good care of oneself. Physical therapy is yet another important treatment of the patella. Physical therapy is also important as it helps to relax the muscles and reflex them. Icing is yet another treatment solution. It helps to reduce inflammation and at the same time helps to stimulate the blood flow. Anti-inflammatory medications may also be used to alleviate the pain and reduce inflammation, hence help in controlling the condition (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 3). Finally, yet important is the arthroscopic surgery. Even though this method of treating a patella disorder is not recommended, when the condition is not getting any better by use of conservative treatment, then surgery can be used.
Conclusion
In conclusion, patella is one of the important bones that human beings rely on to carry out most of their movements: jumping, running, standing, sitting, kicking, walking and even lifting weights. Moving up and lifting weight requires a heavy force, which without the support of this bone could not be possible. It acts as a solid base for the tendons to attach on (WiseGeek 1). Therefore, when quadriceps contract, they enables a person to either stand, walk, run, lift weight since muscles in the body are under pressure. Even though patella is a small bone, it plays a crucial role in the life of a human being. It is an important bone and should not be ignored, as without the aid of this bone a person would not be able to move and even do other activities easily. Despite the fact that the patella is more important to human beings, some disorders are associated with it that may impair its performance. However, some solutions to these problems are available such as physical therapy, resting and surgery among many others. The importance of this bone is significant and the need to keep good care of it is vital. The bone is very essential to the general life of a person regardless of its size. Therefore, it is imperative that good care and treatment is administered in the circumstances where such disorders are evidence to ensure that the person is able to continue with his/her daily duties.
Works Cited
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). OrthoInfo: Patellar Tendon Tear. Web.
Herlihy, Band and Maebuis Norman. Human Body in Health and Illness, 4th Ed. New York: Elsevier, 2011. Print.
Human anatomy. Gray’s Anatomy. Web.
WiseGeek. What is the patella? Web.