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Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella

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The femur is the body's longest and strongest bone spanning the thigh region. Its head articulates with the acetabulum of the hip bone to form the hip joint. A minor indentation on the medial side of the femoral head, called the fovea capitis, serves as the site of attachment for the ligament of the head of the femur. This weak ligament spans the femur and acetabulum and supports the hip joint. The narrowed region below the head is the neck of the femur. The inclination angle between the...

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The knee joint is the most complicated joint in the body. It consists of three articulations– two tibiofemoral and one patellofemoral. As is characteristic of synovial joints, the knee joint has a thin articular capsule that partially surrounds this joint cavity. Additionally, several ligaments, muscles, and cartilaginous structures support the movement of the knee.
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Bones of the Lower Limb: Tibia and Fibula

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

A Mini-Invasive Internal Fixation Technique for Studying Immobilization-Induced Knee Flexion Contracture in Rats

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Snapping knee caused by symptomatic fabella in a native knee.

Justin M Hire¹, David L Oliver, Ryan C Hubbard

¹Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, GA. justin.m.hire.mil@mail.mil.

American Journal of Orthopedics (Belle Mead, N.J.)

|August 20, 2014

Summary

A large fabella, a small bone in the knee, caused snapping knee syndrome in a patient. Surgical removal of the fabella resolved the snapping knee pain and symptoms.

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Area of Science:

Orthopedic Surgery
Sports Medicine
Biomechanics

Background:

Snapping knee syndrome is characterized by audible or palpable snapping during knee movement.
A fabella is a sesamoid bone within the tendon of the gastrocnemius muscle, occasionally causing knee pain.
Conservative treatments, including physical therapy, are often the first line of management for knee pain.

Observation:

A 31-year-old male presented with a 5-year history of symptomatic snapping knee syndrome.
Physical examination revealed reproducible audible and palpable snapping with active knee range of motion.
The patient's condition was refractory to physical therapy and an iliotibial band release.

Findings:

A single, large symptomatic fabella, measuring 15 × 8 × 9 mm, was identified as the cause of the snapping knee.
Surgical excision of the fabella led to complete resolution of the patient's snapping sensation and activity-related pain.

Implications:

Fabellar osteochondroma excision can be an effective treatment for refractory snapping knee syndrome.
This case highlights the importance of considering intra-articular pathologies, such as symptomatic fabella, in cases of persistent knee snapping.
Surgical intervention may be warranted for symptomatic fabella causing mechanical knee symptoms when conservative management fails.