Are there growth plates in the knee

They're made up of cartilage , a rubbery, flexible material the nose, for instance, is made of cartilage. Most growth plates are near the ends of long bones. Long bones are bones that are longer than they are wide. They include:. Growth plates are one way bones grow. There are usually two growth plates in each long bone. They add length and width to the bone. If your child is diagnosed with a growth plate fracture, your doctor will monitor the healing and growth.

The doctor will take a medical history and examine your child, checking for warmth or swelling near the joint, and by pressing on the injured area to check for tenderness or pain. Because growth plates are not solid bone, both the growth plates and potential fractures will not always show up on X-rays. They do, however, show up as gaps between the shaft and the end of the bone. As a result, the doctor may order an X-ray of the injured limb and the opposite limb, and look for differences between the two, Dr.

Socci says. Your doctor may also order other imaging tests, including a magnetic resonance imaging MRI or a computed tomography CT scan, but he or she may simply make a diagnosis based on the tenderness of the growth plate area. Treatment will depend on the severity of the injury and the amount of damage it has caused to the growth plate certain knee injuries, for example, come with a higher risk of blood vessel and nerve damage, as well as high risk of growth disturbance ; however, in most cases you can expect a full recovery.

Also have your child evaluated if you notice a visible deformity in your child's arms or legs, or if your child is having trouble playing sports because of persistent pain. Growth plate fractures can occasionally be caused by overuse, which can occur during sports training or repetitive throwing. Growth plate fractures occur twice as often in boys as in girls, because girls finish growing earlier than do boys. By the age of 12, most girls' growth plates have already matured and been replaced with solid bone.

Most growth plate fractures heal with no complications. But the following factors can increase the risk of crooked, accelerated or stunted bone growth. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

The condition usually resolves on its own as the athlete finishes growing. By treating symptoms and preventing further injury, most athletes can continue to play. In some cases calcification within the tendon can continue to cause symptoms even after growth has finished.

Knee Pain and Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. Preventing Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Turn on more accessible mode. Turn off more accessible mode. Skip Ribbon Commands. Skip to main content. Turn off Animations. Turn on Animations.