epiphyseal plate

Information about epiphyseal plate

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A diagram of the epiphyseal plate.
The epiphyseal plate (or epiphysial plate, or growth plate) is the cartilage plate in the long bones of children and adolescents. The longitudinal growth of these bones occurs primarily at these plates. Around the age of 17 the epiphyseal cartilage cells stop duplicating and the entire cartilage is slowly replaced by bone. Bone growth stops. Ossification of all bones is usually completed by age 25. Once the adult stage is reached, the only way to manipulate height is modifying bone length via distraction osteogenesis.

John Hunter studied growing chickens. He observed bones grew at the ends and thus demonstrated the existence of the epiphyseal plates. Hunter is considered the "father of the growth plate".[1].

Salter-Harris fractures can occur on epiphyseal plates.

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Bone and cartilage
Cartilagechondroblast, chondrocyte, perichondrium, types (hyaline, elastic, fibrous), fibrocartilage callus, metaphysis
Boneossification (intramembranous, endochondral, epiphyseal plate), cycle (osteoblast, osteoid, osteocyte, osteoclast), types (cancellous, cortical), regions (epiphysis, diaphysis), structure (osteon/Haversian system, Haversian canals, endosteum, periosteum, Sharpey's fibres, enthesis, lacunae, canaliculi, trabeculae, medullary cavity, bone marrow), shapes (long, short, flat, irregular, sesamoid)
Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is composed of collagen fibers and/or elastin fibers, and can supply smooth surfaces for the movement of articulating bones.
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The long bones are those that are longer than they are wide, and grow primarily by elongation of the diaphysis, with an epiphysis at the ends of the growing bone. The ends of epiphyses are covered with a hyaline cartilage ("articular cartilage").
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Ossification is the process of bone formation, in which connective tissues, such as cartilage are turned to bone or bone-like tissue. The ossified tissue is invaginated with blood vessels. These blood vessels bring minerals like calcium and deposit it in the ossifying tissue.
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Distraction osteogenesis, also called callus distraction[1], callotasis<ref name="DeBastiani87" />, osteodistraction, is a surgical process used for the reconstruction of skeletal deformities and for the lengthening of bones (as
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John Hunter (February 13, 1728 - October 16, 1793) was a Scottish surgeon regarded as one of the most distinguished scientists and surgeons of his day. He was an early advocate of the application of rigorous scientific experimentation in medicine.
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Salter-Harris Fractures: Descriptive terms for fractures affecting the growth plate of a bone. Once bone growth has completed, the term "Salter-Harris Fracture" no longer applies.
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eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996 by Scott Plantz and Richard Lavely, two medical doctors. It was sold to WebMD in January 2006.
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Boston University (BU) is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Although chartered by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1869, Boston University traces its roots to the establishment of the Newbury Biblical Institute in Newbury,
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Bones are rigid organs that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals.
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Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is composed of collagen fibers and/or elastin fibers, and can supply smooth surfaces for the movement of articulating bones.
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Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is composed of collagen fibers and/or elastin fibers, and can supply smooth surfaces for the movement of articulating bones.
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A chondroblast is a cell which originates from a mesenchymal stem cell and forms chondrocytes, commonly known as cartilage cells.

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  • chondroblast at eMedicine Dictionary


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Chondrocytes (from Greek chondros cartilage + kytos cell) are the only cells found in cartilage. They produce and maintain the cartilaginous matrix, which consists mainly of collagen and proteoglycans.
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The perichondrium is a layer of dense irregular connective tissue which surrounds the cartilage of developing bone. It consists of two separate layers: an outer fibrous layer and inner chondrogenic layer. The fibrous layer contains fibroblasts, which produce collagenous fibers.
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Hyaline cartilage consists of a slimy mass of a firm consistency, but of considerable elasticity and pearly bluish color. It contains no nerves or blood vessels, and its structure is relatively simple.
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Elastic cartilage is a type of cartilage present in the outer ear, larynx, and epiglottis which contains fibers made of elastin.

Elastic cartilage, histologically is similar to hyaline cartilage but contains a plethora of elastic fibers.
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White fibrocartilage consists of a mixture of white fibrous tissue and cartilaginous tissue in various proportions; to the former of these constituents it owes its flexibility and toughness, and to the latter its elasticity.
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A fibrocartilage callus is a temporary formation of fibroblasts and chondroblasts which forms at the area of a bone fracture as the bone attempts to heal itself. The cells eventually dissipate and become dormant, laying in the resulting extracellular matrix that is the new bone.
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The metaphysis is the portion of a long bone between the epiphyses and the diaphysis. The "growth plate", or "physis", or "epiphyseal plate", although it precedes the development of the ossified metaphysis, may also be referred to as the metaphysis.
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Bones are rigid organs that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals.
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Ossification is the process of bone formation, in which connective tissues, such as cartilage are turned to bone or bone-like tissue. The ossified tissue is invaginated with blood vessels. These blood vessels bring minerals like calcium and deposit it in the ossifying tissue.
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Intramembranous ossification is one of two types of bone formation and is the process responsible for the development of flat bones, especially those found in the skull and clavicles. Unlike endochondral ossification, cartilage is not involved or present in this process.
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Endochondral ossification is one of two types of bone formation (ossification) and is the process responsible for much of the bone growth in vertebrate skeletons, especially in long bones.
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An osteoblast (from the Greek words for "bone" and "germ" or embryonic) is a mononucleate cell that is responsible for bone formation. Osteoblasts produce osteoid, which is composed mainly of Type I collagen.
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Osteoid is a protein mixture which is secreted by osteoblasts. When it mineralizes, it becomes bone. Osteoid is primarily composed of Type I collagen.

When there is insufficient mineral or osteoblast dysfunction, the osteoid does not mineralize properly, and it accumulates.
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An osteocyte, a star-shaped cell, is the most abundant cell found in bone. Cells contain a nucleus and a thin ring of cytoplasm. Once osteoblasts become trapped in the matrix they secrete, they become osteocytes.
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An osteoclast (from the Greek words for "bone" and "broken") is a type of bone cell that removes bone tissue by removing the bone's mineralized matrix. This process is known as bone resorption.
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Cancellous bone (also known as trabecular, or spongy) is a type of osseous tissue with a low density and strength but very high surface area, that fills the inner cavity of long bones.
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Cortical bone, also known as compact bone is one of two main types of osseous tissues. Cortical bone is dense and forms the surface of bones, contributing 80% of the weight of a human skeleton. It is extremely hard, formed of multiple stacked layers with few gaps.
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Epiphysis is the name for a rounded end of a long bone. The epiphysis is filled with red marrow, which produces erythrocytes, or red blood cells. Located in the epiphysis is the epiphysial plate, also known as the growth plate.
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