What Is a Growth Plate?
Growth Plate is a region of developing tissue near the ends of certain bones in children and adolescents. Also called a physis, a growth plate helps bones lengthen as a child grows. The tissue gradually changes into solid bone after skeletal growth ends, so its location and condition differ from those of adult bone.
Quick Facts About Growth Plate
Category
Developing bone tissue
Used for
Bone lengthening during growth
Common confusion
Not the same as a joint
Also called
Epiphyseal plate, Physis
Often discussed with
Pediatric Chiropractic Care
Key Takeaways About Growth Plate
- Growth plates occur near the ends of developing bones.
- Their location differs from the structure of adult bone.
- A growth plate is not the same as a joint.
- quick_facts.
How Growth Plate Works
Growth Plate tissue sits near the end of a developing bone, where new cartilage cells form and mature. The process gradually replaces that cartilage with bone, which allows the bone to lengthen. Each growth plate supports growth in a particular bone and may close at a different stage of development.
Related glossary terms: Range of Motion, Postural Assessment, Biomechanics.
A growth plate is softer than the hard bone around it, so an evaluation considers a child’s age, development, symptoms, and movement pattern. Pediatric Chiropractic Care focuses on the child as a whole, with attention to posture, joint motion, and functional movement. A chiropractor does not treat a growth plate as though it were an adult joint. Bone development also helps explain why a child’s assessment differs from an adult’s assessment.
From the Arrowhead Clinic Chiropractor Atlanta team
When we assess a child, we consider the child’s developmental stage and movement pattern before selecting any care approach. We use gentle, age-appropriate evaluation and distinguish normal growth-related findings from concerns that may need medical assessment. Our team keeps the growth plate in its developmental context.
Growth Plate in Practice: A Real-World Example
A child visits for a posture assessment after spending long periods at a desk. The chiropractor considers the child’s growth stage, spinal movement, and overall coordination when planning pediatric chiropractic care.
Related Services
Related Terms
Range of Motion
Range of Motion is the available movement at a joint or body region. It describes how…
Postural Assessment
A Postural Assessment is a clinical observation process that examines how the head, shoulders, spine, pelvis…
Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the study of how living bodies move and respond to forces. In health care…
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