The fabella is a small
sesamoid bone
In anatomy, a sesamoid bone () is a bone embedded within a tendon or a muscle. Its name is derived from the Arabic word for ' sesame seed', indicating the small size of most sesamoids. Often, these bones form in response to strain, or can be pres ...
found in some mammals embedded in the
tendon
A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...
of the lateral head of the
gastrocnemius muscle
The gastrocnemius muscle (plural ''gastrocnemii'') is a superficial two-headed muscle that is in the back part of the lower leg of humans. It runs from its two heads just above the knee to the heel, a three joint muscle (knee, ankle and subtala ...
behind the lateral
condyle
A condyle (;Entry "condyle"
in
femur
The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...
. It is an
accessory bone
An accessory bone or supernumerary bone is a bone that is not normally present in the body, but can be found as a variant in a significant number of people. It poses a risk of being misdiagnosed as bone fractures on radiography.
Wrist and hand
...
, an
anatomical variation
An anatomical variation, anatomical variant, or anatomical variability is a presentation of body structure with morphological features different from those that are typically described in the majority of individuals. Anatomical variations are categ ...
present in 39% of humans.
Rarely, there are two or three of these bones (fabella bi- or tripartita). It can be mistaken for a loose body or
osteophyte
Osteophytes are exostoses (bony projections) that form along joint margins. They should not be confused with enthesophytes, which are bony projections that form at the attachment of a tendon or ligament. Osteophytes are not always distinguished f ...
. The word ''fabella'' is a Latin diminutive of ''faba'' 'bean'.
In humans, it is more common in men than women, older individuals compared to younger, and there is high regional variation, with fabellae being most common in people living in Asia and Oceania and least common in people living in North America and Africa. Bilateral cases (one per knee) are more common than unilateral ones (one per individual), and within individual cases, fabellae are equally likely to be present in right or left knees. Taken together, these data suggest the ability to form a fabella may be genetically controlled, but fabella
ossification
Ossification (also called osteogenesis or bone mineralization) in bone remodeling is the process of laying down new bone material by cells named osteoblasts. It is synonymous with bone tissue formation. There are two processes resulting in t ...
may be environmentally controlled.
Although the fabella seems to have disappeared with the
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
of
Hominidae
The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); ''Gorilla'' (the ea ...
, it reappeared in
humans
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
sometime after they diverged from chimpanzees. It is unknown whether it reappeared soon after this divergence,
5–7 million years ago, or more recently in human evolution.
"The fabella can lead to posterolateral knee pain either due to cartilage softening (chondromalacia fabellae) or other osteoarthritic changes on its articular surface."
See also
*
Fabella sign
The fabella sign is displacement of the fabella that is seen in cases of synovial effusion and popliteal fossa masses.
The fabella is an accessory ossicle located inside the gastrocnemius lateral head tendon on the posterior side of the knee, in a ...
References
Further reading
*
*Werner, Platzer: ''Color Atlas of Human Anatomy, Vol. 1: Locomotor System'' (7th ed.), published by
Thieme, 2015 ()
External links
Sesamoid bones
Accessory bone
Anatomical variations
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