The lateral retinaculum is the

fibrous tissue Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...

on the lateral (outer) side of the

kneecap 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 ...

(

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 ...

). The kneecap has both a medial (on the inner aspect) and a lateral (on the outer side) retinaculum, and these help to support the kneecap in its position in relation to the

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 ...

bone underneath it. The lateral retinaculum is an extension of the fibrous 'aponeurosis' of the

vastus lateralis muscle The vastus lateralis (), also called the vastus externus, is the largest and most powerful part of the quadriceps femoris, a muscle in the thigh. Together with other muscles of the quadriceps group, it serves to extend the knee joint, moving the ...

(itself a part of the quadriceps muscles making up the 'lap').

External links

Patello-femoral Pain Syndrome
{{Authority control Tissues (biology)