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Dorsal defect of the patella

Case contributed by Craig Hacking
Diagnosis not applicable

Presentation

Fall.

Patient Data

Age: 50 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

No fracture identified. Alignment is normal. No joint effusion A well-defined indentation of the articular surface of the patella is in keeping with a dorsal defect, a normal variant.

Case Discussion

Dorsal defect of the patella is a benign subchondral developmental anomaly that may be mistaken for a pathological process such as a focus of infection or osteochondritis dissecans.

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