Presentation
Left knee pain.
Patient Data









A bony fragment is seen at the superolateral aspect of the patella which shows no bone marrow edema or contusion…consistent with bipartite patella.
Moderate joint effusion.
There is a medial meniscal tear and elevated signal in the anterior cruciate ligament on the water-sensitive sequences, which are likely post-traumatic and resulting in the patient's symptoms.
Case Discussion
A bipartite patella (two-part patella) is a patella with an unfused accessory ossification center at the superolateral aspect. It can mimic a fracture, but the classic location and the rounded edges of the "fragment" suggest the diagnosis, and it may be bilateral as in this case.