Medical Questions » Arms Questions » Question No. 1073
| Question: | My son injured his fingers while jumping from the furniture. The doctor who treated him says that there was a minor injury in his growth plate. He informed me that it will heal by itself though he (doctor) provided immobilization treatment for the injured finger. Can you tell me what is growth plate and how can it affect the growth of bones of my kid? |
| Answer: | The growth plate, also known as physis, is the area of the growing tissue which is present near the ends of long bones in children and adolescents. The growth plate regulates and determines the length and shape of the mature bone.
As growth occurs at each end of the bone around the growth plate, it is weakest part of the bone prone to any injury.
Mostly growth plate fractures occur in the long bones of fingers (Phalanges). The growth plate injury is also common in the outer bone of the forearm (radius) at the wrist.
The most common complication of a growth plate fracture is that growth of the affected bone is prevented. Apart from the premature arrest of the bone growth, sometimes fracture stimulates the bone growth resulting in longer injured bone than the uninjured bone.
There are treatments available for the injured growth plate including immobilization and Surgery depending upon the degree of severity of the injury.
Children' s bones tend to heal faster than the adult bones. But, the fractures related to growth plate need to be taken seriously. If child growth plate problems are not attended to seriously, it may result in permanent damage that may interfere with proper physical growth. |
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