A patella or a kneecap is a small bone that connects the bones of your thigh and your leg. The function of a patella is to protect the joint in the knee, by acting like a shield. The bones of the thig..
A patella or a kneecap is a small bone that connects the bones of your thigh and your leg. The function of a patella is to protect the joint in the knee, by acting like a shield. The bones of the thigh, patella and legs are covered with articular cartilage, a slippery fluid that enables smooth movement of bones when you walk. Because the kneecap is a shield, it can get injured in falling or tripping. Fractures in the knee vary not only in the area damaged, but also in the extent of damage. The kneecap could slightly crack or get broken into pieces. It could happen at the top or center or lower parts of the patella. It could also exist in many parts of the kneecap. Other variations could be stable fracture, displaced fracture, open fracture and comminuted fracture. In stable fracture non-displaced fracture, the broken pieces would be aligned and they also stay in place during the process of healing. In a displaced fracture, the broken pieces are not aligned but are separated. Often, this requires surgical correction. An open fracture is a fracture when the damage is not only to the bone but also to the neighboring muscles, ligaments and tendons, the skin may open to make the bone visible. This happens during excessive damage and is a complicated case. A comminuted fracture is a fracture when the bone gets shattered into more than three pieces, it is called comminuted fracture.
The symptoms of a knee fracture include:
- Swelling of the knee
- Excessive pain in the knee
- Inability to walk
- Inability to straighten the knee
- Bruises in the injured area
Generally, patellar fractures are caused by a direct blow to the kneecap, due to a fall or a vehicular accident. Rarely, the kneecap can also get fractured by violent contraction of muscles in the thigh.
The risk factors of knee fractures include direct impact to the knees. This happens when you fall while walking or playing sports or during motor vehicle accidents.
To prevent knee fractures, you must be:
- Careful when you walk or play on slippery surfaces
- Be extra careful if you are old and have other disorders of the bones like osteoporosis
- Exercise mildly to improve your strength and body balance
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Our superspecialist doctors provide the highest quality of care through a team-based, doctor-led model. Trained at some of the world's most renowned i..... Continue Reading
