Growth Plate Injury and Best Treatment Options

 

Growth plate injury is extremely common in pediatric patients. Data from OrthoInfo, growth plate fractures occur twice as often in boys as in girls, because girls finish growing earlier than boys. Growth plates are the areas of cartilage located near the ends of bones where growth occurs, and they can be injured or damaged by a variety of mechanisms. This blog post discusses treatment options for children with growth plate injury.


What is a Growth Plate?

Growth plates are the areas of cartilage located near the ends of bones where growth occurs. These begin to form during fetal development and usually ossify (turn into bone) around the time a child is 10 years old. Growth plates accelerate skeletal maturation, allowing for linear growth in length and rapid changes in height during adolescence. It also allows bones to rotate slightly, which helps with activities like throwing a baseball or swimming. Because these growth plates play such an integral role in pediatric development, any injury that damages the growth plate can have serious implications for both physical and emotional health. Growth plate injuries may affect not only limb alignment but also future height potential if enough damage is done to cause stunted or permanently arrested growth.


How will I Know if My Child Has a Problem with His Growth Plate?

Plates can be injured in a number of different ways, including stress fractures* or injuries that result from sudden twisting and rotation effects. Growth plates are most vulnerable between the ages of 11 and 14 years. Additionally, children who participate in certain sports like gymnastics, ice skating, and equestrian events may be at greater risk for growth plate injury than those who do not pursue such activities. 

Growth Plate Injury Symptoms

  • Swelling and tenderness over the affected site; if redness is present around the swelling this could indicate an infection has set in.

  • An impaired range of motion (a tell-tale sign of a fracture to growth plate or other skeletal components)

  • Muscle spasms or numbness

  • Persistent pain

  • Loss of function and sport

The Importance of Having Strong and Healthy Growth Plates

As parents, we are always looking for ways to help our children grow up healthy and strong. One important thing that can lead to the growth of a healthy child is making sure they have strong and healthy growth plates in their legs. Growth plates are responsible for bone length, which is why it's so crucial that they stay healthy. There are many things you can do to keep your child's growth plates in good shape!

  • Keeping balanced meals on the table every day with adequate amounts of calcium-rich foods like yogurt or milk products as well as vitamin D sources such as eggs or canned fish (like salmon). Providing these foods at an early age will ensure proper development from childhood into adulthood.

  • Another thing is to help your child maintain a healthy weight. A higher BMI (Body Mass Index) is associated with shorter stature, so keeping your child's weight in check will ensure that they have the proper amount of leg length as an adult.

  • Include plenty of exercise into their daily lives. This includes both cardiovascular and strength training exercises such as running, jumping rope, or biking around the neighborhood. These types of activities stimulate bone growth plates and strengthen muscles which also helps keep them at a healthy weight for life!

  • Make sure you're taking care of yourself too! Your little one wants to grow up just like you - knowing how important it is to be fit and strong all throughout life can help set them on the right track towards having healthier habits themselves. 

Treatment for Injured or Broken Growth Plates

The ideal way to treat a growth plate injury is by addressing the potential for leg length discrepancy, skeletal malalignment, and loss of range of motion via physical therapy or braces that utilize spinal extension or traction. Growth plate injuries should never be treated with cortisone injections as this may interfere with proper bone development at the affected site. 

Allowing one's bones to heal on their own without invasive intervention is generally the best course of action when it comes to treating growth plate injuries; however, there are cases where surgery may be necessary to repair significant damage (chronic fractures and complete dislocations can often be corrected).

Some children and teens with growth plate injuries need immediate treatment to prevent problems with bone growth. However, most fractures heal without any lasting effect if it's treated right away. If you or your child has a suspected growth plate injury, we recommend seeking medical care as soon as possible to prevent further damage. We specialize in pediatric orthopedic surgery and can help diagnose and treat these types of injuries right away.

Make an appointment with us today!