Growth plate
Also called: epiphyseal plate, physis
What it means
A growth plate (epiphyseal plate, or physis) is a layer of cartilage near the ends of a child's or teen's long bones where new bone growth happens. It's how arms, legs, and other bones get longer as kids grow.
Growth plates don't matter directly for adult bone density, but understanding them explains how your bones reached their final size and strength before adulthood.
The growth plate sits between the epiphysis (the rounded end of a long bone) and the metaphysis (the flared part below it). It's made of cartilage, which is softer than bone, and it's where cells multiply and gradually turn into new bone tissue. This process is what allows bones like the femur, tibia, and humerus to lengthen during childhood and adolescence.
Once a person finishes puberty, hormonal changes cause the growth plates to "close," meaning the cartilage is fully replaced by solid bone. After this happens, no more lengthening can occur at that site, though bone can still remodel and repair itself throughout life. This closure is a one-time event tied to growth, not something that continues into adult bone health.
For a 60-year-old reader, growth plates are mostly a thing of the past since they closed decades ago. They're more relevant to pediatric medicine, like tracking a child's growth or treating fractures near these areas in young people, which require special care since damage can affect future bone length. The strength and density of your bones today depend on different processes, like ongoing bone remodeling, not growth plate activity.
The cartilage layer near a child's bone ends is how arms and legs lengthen before bones reach adult size.
Where this leads
WordGrowth plates shape how bones grow before adulthood. Curious what maximum bone strength you're left with once that growth finishes?
Related words
The epiphysis is the rounded end part of a long bone, found beyond the growth plate, that forms part of a joint.
The diaphysis is the long middle shaft of a long bone, such as the femur or humerus, made mostly of dense cortical…
The metaphysis is the flared, wider section of a long bone located between its shaft and the rounded end near a…
Peak bone mass is the maximum amount and density of bone a person builds, usually reached by early adulthood, before…
A long bone is a bone that's longer than it is wide, like the femur or humerus, with a shaft and two ends. These…
Growth hormone is a hormone, peaking during deep sleep, that stimulates bone-building cells called osteoblasts.
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
