Growth Plates in Children: What You Need to Know

Many people have heard of growth plates — but how concerned should you be if they are injured? While fractures can happen at any age, children’s bones have unique characteristics that make certain injuries different.

What Are Growth Plates?

The key difference between children’s bones and adult bones is skeletal maturity. Children are still growing, and many of their bones contain epiphyseal plates, commonly called growth plates.

Fractures that involve growth plates are known as Salter-Harris fractures.

Types of Growth Plate Fractures

Salter-Harris fractures vary depending on:

Whether the fracture goes through or across the growth plate.

Which side of the growth plate the fracture extends.

Growth plates can also be compressed (squashed) or distracted (pulled apart). These types of fractures can be difficult to detect because an X-ray may appear normal.

Sometimes, doctors may need to:

X-ray the opposite side of the body for comparison.

Perform an MRI to confirm the presence of a fracture through the growth plate.

Healing and Follow-Up

The good news is that most growth plate fractures heal well with appropriate immobilisation — and sometimes surgery for alignment. Follow-up imaging is often needed to ensure proper healing.

Although rare, improper healing can affect the growth plate and impact bone development. This is why it is important to work with practitioners experienced in managing Salter-Harris fractures.

Schedule Your Appointment with Health Plus Physical Therapy

At Health Plus PT, our Pediatric Orthopedic Care program is dedicated to helping children recover safely from fractures while protecting healthy growth. Treating fractures involving growth plates requires a careful, patient-centered approach, and our specialized therapy is designed to support proper healing using evidence-based techniques, gentle exercises, and tailored treatment plans that promote long-term mobility and bone health.