P 134 - Absence of the patella has minimal effects on sagittal plane gait parameters.

Patella is the latest addition to the animal's skeleton. It's role in normal walking has not been clearly defined. A 9-year-old girl with congenital absence of the patella was assessed using instrumented gait analysis. The results show a tendency for the limb for external rotation, which is more pronounced during swing. We suggest that the role of the patella is mainly to redirect the force of the quadriceps tendon medially. The classically described role, which is to increase the lever arm of the quadriceps tendon, was not confirmed in this study.