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EntityQ1365684· pop 34· linked from 182 articles

sesamoid bone

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Also known as sesamoid bones

bone embedded within a tendon or muscle

Key facts

Latin
os sesamoideum plural</span>"}]]}'>pl. ossa sesamoidea
Mesh
D012716
Ta98
A02.0.00.016

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Part of
bone
Has part
fabella
Image
Sesamoid bones of the fingers.jpg
Show 3 more facts
Commons category
Sesamoid bone
topic's main category
Category:Sesamoid bones
NCI Thesaurus ID
C33541
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~6 min read

Encyclopedic overview

In anatomy, a sesamoid bone (/ˈsɛsəmɔɪd/) is a bone embedded within a tendon or a muscle. Its name is derived from the Greek word for 'sesame seed', indicating the small size of most sesamoids. Often, these bones form in response to strain, or can be present as a normal variant. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body. Sesamoids act like pulleys, providing a smooth surface for tendons to slide over, increasing the tendon's ability to transmit muscular forces.

Structure

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “sesamoid bone” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.