patella alta

Etiology

• knee injury
  • patellar tendon rupture

Pathology

• abnormally high patella in relation to the femur
• the patella sits high on the femur where the groove is very shallow
• instability of the patella
• may be effusion with patellar tendon rupture

Physical examination

• patellar apprehension test
• inability to actively extend knee suggests patellar tendon rupture

Radiology

• X-ray of knee

More general terms

• knee injury, traumatic

Additional terms

• patella (kneecap)