Painful bipartite patellae. A report of three cases.

This is a report of three children with tender painful patellae, bipartite at the superior, lateral pole. Non-operative treatment failed to relieve these symptoms, but excision of the accessory ossification center resulted in a painless knee. Gross and microscopic pathological examination was consistent with the hypothesis that this syndrome was caused by fracture through the interposed cartilage which failed to heal satisfactorily.