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The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body, located anterior to the knee joint within the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle (see Images. Anterior Patella and Posterior Patella). The patella has the following functions: Serves as an attachment point for both the quadriceps tendon and the patellar ligament Increases the quadriceps muscle's effective extension capacity by increasing the patellar ligament's moment arm Protects the quadriceps tendon from frictional forces by minimizing tendon contact with the femur Acts as a bony shield for deeper structures in the knee joint