Patella Lab Report

Few hypotheses have been offered to explain how patellar taping may improve pain, strength, mechanical function, and patellar alignment at the patella-femoral joint. Some have suggested that the mechanical advantage of the Quadriceps is maximized because of increased leverage by the patella via a medial shift as it returns to the trochlear grove of the femur. (Naoko Aminaka (2005) 13

The patella functions to increase the mechanical advantage of the quadriceps mechanism. Ficat and Hunger ford 14 reports that throughout the range of motion the patella increases effective extension force by as much as fifty percent. The essential function of the patella lies in the ability of its healthy hyaline cartilage to transmit forces to subcondral and cancellous bone.

Patello-femoral joint forces vary with activity, being 0.5 times body weight during walking, 3.3 times body weight when ascending or descending stairs, and as much as 6.0 to 7.0 times body weight when squatting (Mike Reynold 2009) 15.

Several investigators

The pull of the Quadriceps is represented by a vector from the middle of the patella to the anterior superior iliac spine. The Q angle also represents the result of the strong lateral pull of the huge mass of Vastus Lateralis and the correcting the medial pull of the Vastus Medialis. The distal component of the Q angle is identified by a line from the midpoint of the patella to the middle of the proximal tibial tubercle with the Quadriceps relaxed; the normal Q angle is reported to be thirteen to eighteen degrees, angles more than eighteen degrees are associated with increased femoral anteversion. (Shane et. al.)20. It is widely accepted that this alignment contributes to the patello femoral pain syndrome. Excessive Q angles are frequently found in individuals who have non-traumatic patellar