X-Ray Library Patella

This section is intended to give you a little more detail about what your particular problem or injury looks like radiographically (by xray images).

The images on this page represent normal patellar (knee cap) anatomy as well as xrays of knees with chondromalacia (thin and softening cartilage) and Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD). Some images show what the knee cap looks like if it 'pops' out of place (which is called subluxating/slipping or dislocating). There are a few images which demonstrate how some of these problems can be fixed.

Neutral position

Subluxated or tilted

Full dislocation

Xray Position

thick cartilage space

thin space and bone spurs

tilted alignments on top

lateral tilting

before / after lateral release

at risk for slipping out / subluxating

Fixed with a wire

Fixed with screws

Fixed with Pins and wire

Patella Fracture Patterns

lateral release medial repair

tibial tubercle transfer