Vertical cleft of infrapatellar fat pad

The vertical cleft of the infrapatellar fat pad is a consistent vertically oriented fissure or separation within the fat pad tissue on the posterior aspect of the infrapatellar (Hoffa's) fat pad, specifically described as a . This cleft is typically located above the horizontal cleft and is found in the majority of knees examined in cadaveric studies. It is considered a normal anatomical variant rather than a pathological finding and is important to recognize on imaging and during surgery to avoid misinterpretation as a pathologic lesion. The vertical cleft is distinct from the more commonly described horizontal cleft.