title: Anatomical study of the inferior patellar pole and patellar tendon.
abstract: In this study, detailed investigations into the shape of the inferior patellar pole, the site of the patellar tendon attachment, and the length and course of the patellar tendon were performed with the aim of examining the anatomical factors involved in the developmental mechanism of patellar tendinitis. The investigation examined 100 legs from 50 cadavers. The inferior patellar pole was classified into three types: pointed, intermediate, and blunt. The attachment of the patellar tendon to the inferior patellar pole was classified into two types: an anterior and a posterior. The length of the patellar tendon was measured from the tibial tuberosity to the inferior patellar pole. The pointed type was seen in 57% of legs, the intermediate type in 21%, and the blunt type in 22%. Twenty-one legs were the pointed type, as well as the anterior type. The patellar tendon was significantly shorter with the posterior type than with the anterior type. The blunt type also had a significantly shorter patellar tendon than the pointed type. In legs that were both the pointed type and the anterior type, the inferior patellar pole and the proximal posterior surface of the patellar tendon impinged during knee flexion due to the posterior tilt of the patella, suggesting the possibility that this may induce damage. With the posterior type and blunt type, on the other hand, the possibility of strong tensile stress on the tendon fibers of the posterior facet of the inferior patellar pole was suggested.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.|Department of Anatomy, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, Nippon Dental University, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edama
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, Nippon Dental University, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikumoto
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takabayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Oguma Orthopedics Clinic, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inai
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onishi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010329:Patella / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D017847:Patellar Ligament / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology
keywords: impingement; inferior patellar pole; patellar tendinitis; patellar tendon; tensile load