Metaphysis

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source

The metaphysis is the portion of a long bone between the epiphyses and the diaphysis. The "growth plate", or "physis", or "epiphyseal plate", although it precedes the development of the ossified metaphysis, may also be referred to as the metaphysis. It is this part of the bone that grows during childhood; as it grows, it ossifies near the diaphysis and the epiphyses. At roughly 18 to 25 years of age, the metaphysis stops growing altogether and completely ossifies into solid bone.

Epiphyseal plates ("growth plates") are located in the metaphysis and are responsible for growth in the length of the bone. Because of their rich blood supply, metaphysis of long bones are prone to hematogenous spread of Osteomyelitis in children.

Additional images

External links

• - "Bone, structure (Gross, Low)"

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Friday February 08, 2008 at 14:44:56 PST (GMT -0800)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation