Knee - Anterior View
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Classification
Case code:
GN-ANT-N-A0500
Joint:
Knee
View:
Anterior
Severity:
Normal
Patient
Age:
36 years
Sex:
Male
Condition:
Healthy subject
Joint ROM:
0-140° (normal)
History
Healthy adult, office worker, engages in regular physical activity (running, gym) three times a week. No history of joint diseases, significant trauma, or knee surgery. Does not take any medication. Reports no pain, swelling, or functional limitations. Examination performed as a healthy control as part of a study aimed at defining reference ultrasound parameters in adults.
Physical Examination
Knee with normal morphology on inspection, without signs of inflammation, deformity, or muscle atrophy. No joint effusion on palpation. Quadriceps trophism preserved. Full and painless range of motion. Ligament stability tests (Lachman, drawer, varus/valgus stress) negative. Normal gait without limping.
Ultrasound Findings
The ultrasound examination in the anterior projection shows:
- Quadriceps tendon: normal thickness and fibrillar echotexture
- Suprapatellar recess: empty, thin synovium (<1.5 mm)
- Patellar ligament: regular morphology, homogeneous echotexture
- Hoffa’s fat pad: normal adipose tissue without thickening
- Patellar cartilage: smooth and regular surface
- Femoral bone surfaces: sharp contours without irregularities. No effusion, intra-articular debris, or inflammatory signs
Anatomical Zones
Quadriceps tendon
In this case, the quadriceps tendon shows normal ultrasound features typical of a healthy adult.
Thickness:
6,2 mm (normal for age)
Findings:
Well-defined parallel fibrillar echotexture. Homogeneous ultrasound pattern without areas of thickening or hypoechogenicity. Regular myotendinous junction. Clear and well-defined insertion at the base of the patella. No intratendinous calcifications or vascular alterations on Doppler.
Patellar ligament
The patellar ligament shows completely normal morphology and echotexture for the patient’s age.
Echotexture:
Normal, with a homogeneous fibrillar pattern
Findings:
Length of 48 mm with a uniform thickness of 4 mm. Straight course from the patellar apex to the anterior tibial tuberosity. Normal tendinous echotexture with clearly visible parallel fibers. No areas of degeneration, calcification, or discontinuity. Regular bony insertions without signs of enthesopathy. Normal vascularization on Doppler.
Hoffa’s fat pad
The infrapatellar fat pad shows the normal ultrasound features of mature adipose tissue.
Vascularization:
Absent (normal)
Findings:
Tessuto adiposo ipereoico omogeneo con normale morfologia triangolare. Contorni regolari e ben definiti. Assenza di ispessimenti, bande fibrotiche o aree di fibrosi. Non si evidenziano raccolte fluide o alterazioni strutturali. Vascolarizzazione fisiologica al Doppler senza segni di iperemia o neoangiogenesi. Rapporti normali con il legamento rotuleo e le strutture circostanti.
Direct Comparison
Compare this case with reference cases of different severity grades for in-depth analysis.
Cases available for comparison: 3 of 3 possible
Additional Notes
Control case documenting the normal ultrasound appearance of the knee in a healthy adult. All morphometric parameters fall within the normal range for age. This case serves as a reference for identifying early pathological changes in comparative studies on hemophilic arthropathy.