What is "fabella"

Fabella \Fa*bel"la\, n.; pl. Fabellae (-l[=e]). [NL., dim. of L. faba a bean.] (Anat.) One of the small sesamoid bones situated behind the condyles of the femur, in some mammals.

n. (context anatomy English) One of the small sesamoid bones situated behind the condyles of the femur, in some mammals.

The fabella (Latin for little bean) (or flabella) is a small sesamoid bone found in some mammals embedded in the tendon of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle behind the lateral condyle of the femur. It is a variant of normal anatomy and present in humans in 10% to 30% of individuals. Rarely, there are 2 or 3 of these bones (fabella bi- or tripartita). It can be mistaken for a loose body or osteophyte.

The fabella is a standard finding on radiographs of the dog and cat, and both medial and lateral fabellae are typically present.