Many wonder if they can directly feel their growth plates, especially during rapid development. While growing often involves aches or pains, these sensations do not come from the growth plates themselves. These internal structures do not transmit direct sensory information.
Understanding Growth Plates
Growth plates, also known as epiphyseal plates, are cartilage areas near the ends of long bones in children and adolescents. These discs are present in bones like the arms and legs, playing a fundamental role in increasing bone length. The cartilage in these plates contains chondrocytes, which continuously divide and expand the tissue.
As new cartilage forms, older cartilage closer to the bone shaft hardens and is replaced by new bone tissue. This continuous process of cartilage production and ossification allows bones to lengthen, increasing height. Growth plates remain active throughout childhood and adolescence, facilitating longitudinal growth.
Why You Can’t Directly Feel Growth Plates
Growth plates are internal structures, deeply situated within the body, making them impossible to feel directly. They are composed of cartilage, a soft, flexible connective tissue, unlike mature bone. This cartilaginous nature means they lack nerve endings for direct sensation or pain perception.
These structures are protected by layers of muscle, tendons, ligaments, and skin. They are shielded from external forces and direct touch. Their primary function is growth, not sensation.
Common Sensations During Growth
Sensations during growth are often attributed to growth plates, but these are typically “growing pains,” a common and benign condition. Growing pains usually manifest as an ache or throbbing sensation in the legs, often in the front of the thighs, calves, or behind the knees. These sensations tend to occur in the late afternoon or evening, frequently waking a child from sleep, and are typically bilateral, affecting both legs.
Unlike injuries, growing pains do not cause limping, redness, swelling, or joint tenderness. Their exact cause is not fully understood, but theories suggest muscle fatigue from active play or rapid stretching of muscles and tendons during bone growth. These pains are a normal part of development and often respond well to massage, stretching, or warmth.
Other sensations during growth can include general muscle soreness, especially after increased physical activity during a growth spurt. Sometimes, mild joint discomfort can occur as the body adjusts to rapid changes in bone length and muscle tension. Persistent pain, or pain accompanied by limping, swelling, redness, fever, or injury, requires medical evaluation to rule out other conditions.
The Closure of Growth Plates
Growth plates are temporary structures that eventually fuse, signaling the end of longitudinal bone growth. This process, known as growth plate fusion or epiphyseal closure, occurs when the plate’s cartilage completely ossifies and is replaced by solid bone. Once fused, the growth plate transforms into an epiphyseal line, a remnant of the former cartilaginous plate.
Growth plate closure timing varies among individuals and typically occurs in a predictable sequence. Generally, female growth plates close earlier than male ones. For most females, closure occurs between ages 14 and 16; for males, it typically happens between 16 and 18. After fusion, no further increase in height from bone lengthening is possible.