kasvupään

Kasvupää, also known as a growth plate or epiphyseal plate, is a layer of hyaline cartilage found in growing bones. It is located at the ends of long bones, specifically in the metaphysis, between the epiphysis (the expanded end of the bone) and the diaphysis (the shaft of the bone). This region is crucial for longitudinal bone growth, meaning the lengthening of bones.

Within the kasvupää, chondrocytes (cartilage cells) undergo proliferation, hypertrophy, and eventually calcification. This process leads to the formation of new bone tissue on the diaphyseal side of the plate. As the bone grows longer, the kasvupää itself is gradually replaced by bone tissue.

The rate of growth at the kasvupää is influenced by various factors, including genetics, hormones (such as growth hormone and sex hormones), and nutrition. These plates are present during childhood and adolescence. Once a person reaches skeletal maturity, typically in late adolescence or early adulthood, the cartilage in the kasvupää ossifies completely, fusing with the diaphysis and epiphysis. At this point, longitudinal bone growth ceases.

Injuries to the kasvupää, known as physeal fractures or growth plate fractures, can occur, particularly in children and adolescents. These injuries can sometimes lead to premature closure of the growth plate, resulting in an unequal growth of the bone and potential limb length discrepancies or deformities. Therefore, diagnosis and proper management of such injuries are important to prevent long-term complications.