The patella is the bone we know more familiarly as the knee cap. In a normal knee, the patella glides up and down as the knee joint is bent back and forth. The knee cap protects the knee joint and guides the action of muscles in the lower leg. Two bony ridges on the thigh bone guide the patella as it slides up and down. The entire knee system runs smoothly thanks to joint fluid. A patella may become luxated — jumps out of the guiding grooves on the thigh bone — for different reasons. The ridges may not be … Continue reading →