The patellar tendon is located on the front of the knee between the kneecap and tibia (shin bone). It's also sometimes called the patellar ligament. It works in conjunction with the quadriceps tendon (which connects the thigh muscles to the kneecap) to straighten your knee. It would be nearly impossible to straighten your leg without it.

The patellar tendon is used for a number activities, including running, jumping, pedaling, and kicking. Without this tendon, your kneecap would move up to the thigh area, because nothing would be anchoring the kneecap over the knee joint. As you can imagine, an injury to the patellar tendon can be very detrimental to everyday life.

Anyone can injury their patellar tendon, though it is more common in athletes. Some of the common injuries are:

  • Patellar tendon rupture, also known as a patellar tendon tear. These tears can be complete or partial, and more severe tears may require surgery.
  • Patellar tendonitis, also known as patellar tendinitis. Inflammation to the patellar tendon can cause pain and discomfort.

Ligament repair surgeries, such as ACL reconstruction, sometimes use a small piece of the patellar tendon to replace the torn ligament. Professional athletes often prefer this type of graft when repairing a ligament injury, because of the strength of the patellar tendon.