epiphyseal plate

anatomy

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June 26, 2026

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The epiphyseal plate, also known as the growth plate, is a layer of hyaline cartilage found in growing bones. It is crucial for longitudinal bone growth. This process involves the continuous production of new cartilage cells on one side of the plate, while on the other side, the cartilage is replaced by bone. This allows bones to lengthen until skeletal maturity is reached, at which point the epiphyseal plates fuse and disappear.1

Disruptions to this growth mechanism can lead to various disorders, such as rickets and achondroplastic dwarfism. Aseptic necrosis, a condition involving tissue death due to a failed blood supply, can also affect the epiphyseal plate in children, leading to growth arrest and deformities.23

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cartilage
…plate of cartilage, called the epiphyseal plate, persists at the ends of growing bones, finally becoming ossified itself only when the bone behind it has completed its growth. At the growing edge of the plate, chondrocytes continue to grow and divide, while on the trailing edge they are replaced by…
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…plate of cartilage, called the epiphyseal plate, persists at the ends of growing bones, finally becoming ossified itself only when the bone behind it has completed its growth. At the growing edge of the plate, chondrocytes continue to grow and divide, while on the trailing edge they are replaced by…
Read More