epiphyseal plates

**epiphyseal plates**

The epiphyseal plates, also known as growth plates, are areas of developing cartilage tissue located at the ends of long bones in children and adolescents. These plates are responsible for bone growth in length during childhood and puberty. As a person matures, the cartilage gradually ossifies and is replaced by solid bone, leading to the closure of the growth plates and the end of bone elongation. Understanding epiphyseal plates is essential in fields like orthopedics and pediatrics, especially when assessing growth disorders or injuries in young individuals.