PATELLA (patellae)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: patellae   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Patella mean? 

• PATELLA (noun)
  The noun PATELLA has 2 senses:

1. a small flat triangular bone in front of the knee that protects the knee joint

2. type genus of the family Patellidae: common European limpets

  Familiarity information: PATELLA used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PATELLA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small flat triangular bone in front of the knee that protects the knee joint

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

kneecap; kneepan; patella

Hypernyms ("patella" is a kind of...):

os sesamoideum; sesamoid; sesamoid bone (any of several small round bones formed in a tendon where it passes over a joint)

Holonyms ("patella" is a part of...):

articulatio genus; genu; human knee; knee; knee joint (hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella)

Derivation:

patellar (near or relating to the patella or kneecap)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Type genus of the family Patellidae: common European limpets

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

genus Patella; Patella

Hypernyms ("Patella" is a kind of...):

mollusk genus (a genus of mollusks)

Meronyms (members of "Patella"):

common limpet; Patella vulgata (marine limpet)

Holonyms ("Patella" is a member of...):

family Patellidae; Patellidae (marine limpets)

 Context examples 

Mutation of the gene is associated with nail-patella syndrome.

(LMX1B wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

A flat fibrous band extending from the apex and margins of the patella to the tubercle of the tibia.

(Patellar Ligament, NCI Thesaurus)

Also called: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury, Chondromalacia Patellae, Patella, ACL Injuries, Meniscus

(Knee Injuries and Disorders, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Surgical removal of part or all of the patella.

(Patellectomy, NCI Thesaurus)

The highest portion of the fibula that articulates with the patella.

(Head of the Fibula, NCI Thesaurus)

Other structures of the knee joint include the upper part of the fibula, located below and parallel to the tibia, and the patella which moves as the knee bends.

(Knee Joint, NCI Thesaurus)

The superior portion of the tibia that joins with the fibula, femur and patella at the knee joint.

(Head of the Tibia, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by fingernail deformities, absence or hypoplasia of the patellae, iliac horns, deformities of the radial heads, nephropathy, and glaucoma.

(Nail-Patella Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)