The answer is yes and no. Babies are born with pieces of cartilage that will eventually become the bony kneecap, or patella, that adults have. Like bone, cartilage gives structure where it's needed in the body, such as the nose, ears, and joints.

Can you be born without knee caps?

“It is kind of a common misconception that babies are 'born without kneecaps,'” Dr. Airey says. “But this isn't really true. Babies are born with kneecaps made entirely of cartilage, so their knees are called 'cartilage patellae' (literally cartilage kneecaps).”

Why do some people not have knee caps?

Small patella syndrome (SPS) is a rare syndrome that mainly affects the way certain bones are formed (developed). A person with SPS usually has very small kneecaps (hypoplastic patella) or may have no kneecaps at all (aplastic).