All Things Great & Small: The Wonders of the Patella

I love the body. How it works, it's masterful design, and the engineering. They all add up to a miracle. When a person is injured there are changes in their anatomy which affect their physiology. I believe that most people if they knew just how function and structure correlate would appreciate their health.

The Patella is a little bone. It sits just a few inches around. Often overlooked and undervalued as a bone or as even a part of your 200 plus bones. As they say, "you don't know what you got till it's gone." A person with a Patellar injury is going to have major problems with even the most basic functions, like walking or even standing.

See my YouTube Video, "The Patella is a Small Bone with a Big Purpose" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmUWXSJrRto&list=UUBwBPLfPQYrF6MC3STcNOsw&feature=plcp


Why? All all about Engineering.

The Patella sits as an engineering marvel. It acts as a fulcrum. It provides the body with a leverage arm to increase the power of the thigh muscles (the quadriceps) acting upon the leg. This is referred to as mechanical advantage. And what an advantage it is,Without a healthy and fully functioning (properly moving/gliding) patella your ability to walk, stand, kick, squat, and do all those things you take for granted is virtually lost. A thigh without a patella becomes a weakling.

What's Important? Structure and the Balance

In my chiropractic practice, I treated many different patella injuries and tracking disorders (misalignments, subluxations) from car accidents. Often these were due to knees banging into dashboards and steering wheels. The key to the Patella is balance. It can't be set too far to the left or the right (medial or lateral thigh) or else it loses it's effectiveness. All things within the body (to function at their highest level) must not only have integrity (healthy bone, ligaments, tendons) but also proper alignment.

Dr. Lawrence A. Newman, D.C., Esq.
Personal Injury and Criminal Defense Attorney

504 North Aurora Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-229-5184

www.IthacaInjuryLawyer.com