When I first began my career in physical therapy (PT), I wanted the opportunity to be able to make a significant difference in someone’s life.  I envisioned myself working in an outpatient clinic and helping patients get back to doing something they loved. Maybe it was the runner with the sprained ankle or the baseball pitcher with a torn rotator cuff.  

The epiphyseal plate aka “growth plate” is the area of new bone growth near the ends of the long bones in children/adolescents.  Long bones include: the femur (thigh), the tibia and fibula (shin), the radius and ulna (forearm), and the bones of the hands and feet.  There is typically one growth plate at each end of a long bone. As your child ages and grows, the growth plates harden and become solid bone.  Once this process is complete, the growth plate is closed and no additional growth occurs. Growth plates usually close near the end of puberty (13-15 years for girls and 15-17 years for boys) [1].