Bipartite patella is a condition where the
patella
The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as m ...
, or kneecap, is composed of two separate
bones
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
. Instead of
fusing together as normally
occurs in early childhood, the bones of the patella remain separated.
The condition occurs in approximately 12% of the population
and is no more likely to occur in
males
Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization.
A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...
than
females
Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction.
A female has larger gametes than a male. Females a ...
.
[ It is often ]asymptomatic
In medicine, any disease is classified asymptomatic if a patient tests as carrier for a disease or infection but experiences no symptoms. Whenever a medical condition fails to show noticeable symptoms after a diagnosis it might be considered asy ...
and most commonly diagnosed as an incidental finding Incidental medical findings are previously undiagnosed medical or psychiatric conditions that are discovered unintentionally and during evaluation for a medical or psychiatric condition. Such findings may occur in a variety of settings, including ro ...
,symptomatic
Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showin ...
.[
Saupe introduced a classification system for Bipartite Patella back in 1921.
Type 1: Fragment is located at the bottom of the kneecap (5% of cases)
Type 2: Fragment is located on the lateral side of the kneecap (20% of cases)
Type 3: Fragment is located on the upper lateral border of the kneecap (75% of cases)]
References
External links
Congenital disorders of musculoskeletal system
Knee injuries and disorders
Patella
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