On an x-ray, growth plates look like dark lines at the ends of the bones. At the end of growth, when the cartilage completely hardens into bone, the dark line will no longer be visible on an x-ray. At that point, growth plates are considered closed.
How long does it take for growth plates to close?
Normally, the growth plate closes once the child has attained puberty. Thus for females, the normal age at which time the growth plate should close is between 12-14 years and for males the growth plates should close by the time the child is aged between 14-16 years. Usually, a child continues to grow up to two years after attaining puberty.
When does the growth plate fully close?
When Do Growth Plates Close? Growth plates remain open until the end of puberty for most humans. On average, it is towards the late teenage years. In males, it generally closes around the age of 15 to 18 years, and in females at 13 to 16 years. However, growth plates on some parts of the body may close later than others.
Will you grow if your growth plates are still open?
Some bones, like the small bones of the wrist and feet, might fuse while other bones in the body still have open growth plates. Height will be determined primarily by the growth in the bones of the legs and the spine at this time.
Can You reopen growth plates?
Suffice it to say, you can't reopen or "re-awaken" growth plates. That doesn't mean that there's no way to increase height after puberty, and it's certainly frustrating to think of how little concern society seems to have for shorter people who would like to be taller, considering the social importance height.
Why is it so hard to predict when the growth plates in an individual close?
This is because the different bones in the body take different times to stop growing and become mature.
How old is a child when the growth plate closes?
Thus for females, the normal age at which time the growth plate should close is between 12-14 years and for males the growth plates should close by the time the child is aged between 14-16 years. Usually, a child continues to grow up to two years after attaining puberty.
What Are Growth Plates?
The growth plate, which is also known by the name of epiphyseal plate, is an area of growing tissues along the end of the long bones in a child. Each long bone has two growth plates one at each end. The growth plate determines how the length and shape of the bone will be once the child attains puberty. As during the growing age of a child, these growth plates are extremely soft and tender and hence are vulnerable for various sorts of injury or trauma. This is precisely the reason as to why more than 1/4th of fractures in children occur in the growth plates.
How long does it take for a child to grow up?
Usually, a child continues to grow up to two years after attaining puberty. The age at which the growth plate closes depends on various factors like race, gender, and overall body habitus of the child.
When do growth plates close in people?
Sometimes, during the adolescence, our body growth is incomplete. This is during this phase when the growth plates are closed and are replaced by solid bone. However, it is difficult to say exactly when each growth plates close because different bones stop growing at different times. The growing plates at the long bones have an average time when they stop growing. Most of the children after the completion of their pubertal growth stage grow for an average of another two years. The age at which the puberty begins is quite erratic and it depends on many elements including race, gender, and body habits. Generally, females stop growing at the age of 12 to 14 years while males stop growing at around the age of 14 to 16. [Read – how to grow taller at 16 ]. However, some children continue growing in height until their late teens but most of the growth in them stop by these ages [ 2 ].
What are Growth Plates?
Growth plates are the area of the growing tissues at the each ends of the long bones in children and adolescents. These plates also known as epiphyseal plate or physis are the zones of cartilage. There are at least two growth plates in each bone which determines the length and shape of the mature bone. The growth plates contribute new bones to the existing bones to grow. Since these parts of the bones are soft, they are prone to injury during the developmental stages of a child. This bone region is sometimes weaker than the tendons and ligaments that connect bones to other bones and muscles. It is said that because of its soft nature, 30 percent of fractures in children can happen around the growth plates [ 1 ].
What Causes Growth Plate Injuries?
Most of the common causes of these injuries can be an event such as a fall or blow to the limb or injuries can also happen due to overuse. For example, a gymnast practicing on the uneven bars for a longer time, a long-distance runner, and a baseball pitcher practicing his curveball to make it perfect can suffer from growth plate injuries.
Why are boys more likely to get growth plate fractures than girls?
Boys are more likely to get growth plate fractures as compared to girls because girls’ bodies grow and mature at an earlier age than that of the boys. As a result, the bones in the girls’ bodies complete growing earlier, and thus their growth plates are restored by stronger and solid bone. People playing competitive sports such as football, ...
Why are growth plates important?
The growth plates contribute new bones to the existing bones to grow. Since these parts of the bones are soft , they are prone to injury during the developmental stages of a child. This bone region is sometimes weaker than the tendons and ligaments that connect bones to other bones and muscles. It is said that because of its soft nature, 30 percent ...
What is the purpose of growth plates in bones?
But, it is the growth plates that help the long bones of the legs and arms to grow at either end of these bones. These growth plates produce new bone tissue for the growth of long bones and this is what determines the final length and shape ...
What is the weakest part of the bone?
Fractures in the growth plates are common among physically ill-treated children. And since the growth plate is the weakest part of the bone, these injuries are very common in the children who are abused.
How to tell if growth plate is still open?
An x-ray, usually of the wrist, is the most common way to check if the growth plates are still open. However, this is not a reliable way of knowing for sure if you have stopped growing. As mentioned above, different growth plates could close at various times during a person’s growth period.
When do growth plates reopen?
However, that does not mean everyone stops growing right after puberty. For some people, the growth plates may remain open as late as early adulthood.
What hormone stimulates the growth plate to produce more cartilage cells?
The growth plate consists of cartilage cells. The insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) hormone stimulates the growth plate to produce more cartilage cells. These new cells push the older cells towards the center of the bone. Eventually, the older cells mature and harden, elongating the bone and making the person taller.
How do limbs increase in length?
The increase in the length of a person’s limbs is determined by how the growth plate functions. Bones do not grow from the middle. Instead, bones grow from the broader part of the bone towards its end—where the epiphyseal plates are. The growth plate consists of cartilage cells.
Why do people stop growing early?
Estrogen is responsible for why people with precocious puberty stop growing earlier than others their age. Precocious puberty is the term used to refer to the early onset of puberty in female children.
What is the term for the growth plate?
The medical term for the growth plate is the epiphyseal plate. These plates exist in different parts of the body where we have long bones, particularly the legs (tibia and fibula), thighs (femur), forearms (radius and ulna), and also in the bones of our hands and feet.
What is the role of growth plates in adulthood?
The growth plates play a significant role in determining one’s height in adulthood. They are sites of new bone creation and responsible for making you taller. Normally, the growth plates close off after puberty.
