Patellar tendon
continuation of the quadriceps tendon, with the patella embedded in it, inserting onto the tibial tuberosity
The patellar tendon is the distal portion of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tibial tuberosity. It is also sometimes called the patellar ligament as it forms a bone to bone connection when the patella is fully ossified.
Structure
The patellar tendon is a strong, flat ligament, which originates on the apex of the patella distally and adjoining margins of the patella and the rough depression on its posterior surface; below, it inserts on the tuberosity of the tibia; its superficial fibers are continuous over the front of the patella with those of the tendon of the quadriceps femoris. It is about 4.5 cm long in adults (range from 3 to 6 cm).
The medial and lateral portions of the quadriceps tendon pass down on either side of the patella to be inserted into the upper extremity of the tibia on either side of the tuberosity; these portions merge into the capsule, as stated above, forming the medial and lateral patellar retinacula.
The posterior surface of the patellar tendon is separated from the synovial membrane of the joint by a large infrapatellar pad of fat, and from the tibia by a bursa.
Clinical significance
The patellar tendon can be injured in a patellar tendon rupture. Because tendon does not regenerate fully in humans, there is a significant clinical need for research into therapies for patellar tendon rupture.
It can be used as a tissue source in the repair of other ligaments. In the event of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the patellar tendon can be used in the rehabilitation process.
The public source identifies “Patellar tendon” as continuation of the quadriceps tendon, with the patella embedded in it, inserting onto the tibial tuberosity. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Patellar, tendon and continuation.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1172095. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Patellar tendon” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.