

A stress fracture of the patella may be difficult to see on an X-ray. They can occur in athletes, such as marathon runners, and may be due to overuse. Hairline fractures are also known as stress fractures, and are rare in the kneecap.
NONDISPLACED FRACTURE CRACK
A hairline kneecap fracture is a simple crack in the bone (the patella is still in one piece).In a noncomminuted patella fracture, the kneecap is broken in two pieces.A comminuted patella fracture is one in which the bone is shattered into three or more pieces.In open kneecap fractures, the bones stick out of the skin, creating a complex wound.Ĭomminuted, Noncomminuted and Hairline Kneecap Fractures.A kneecap fracture is considered closed if the broken pieces of patella do not pierce the skin.In displaced patella fractures, the patella is broken and the pieces of bone have moved out of place.Nondisplaced kneecap fractures occur when the patella is broken but hasn’t moved out of place.Displaced and Nondisplaced Kneecap Fractures It can be affected by your weight and general health. The type of patella fracture depends on the mechanism and severity of the injury. In some cases, kneecap fractures can be accompanied by injuries to knee tendons and ligaments due to the initial impact to the knee. In the case of the patella, ligaments attach it to both the thigh muscles (quadriceps) and the shinbone (tibia). The patella is a sesamoid bone: a round bone embedded in a tendon that shields and protects a joint. A kneecap (patella) fracture is a break of the bone located on the front of the knee joint.
