Research Review – The Apophysis

  When I give lectures on growth plate problems, I often present a slide with an x-ray of a knee in a kid who hasn’t fully finished their growth. I outline where the physis, or the growth plate, is. Then we show the metaphysis, or the area between the growth plate and the shaft of the bone, then the epiphysis, the area between the growth plate and the joint space, and finally the diaphysis, or the shaft of the bone. Then I generally ask the audience, where is the apophysis? Often, I get crickets. In medicine, we often talk about all the main centers of growth but seem to skip over the apophysis, which is a source of many problems in the growing athlete from overuse. What exactly is the apophysis? It’s an area of growing bone that doesn’t provide longitudinal (or length) growth of the bone but is a tendon attachment site. We see overuse traction problems in these areas all the time like Osgood-Schlatter in the knee affecting the tibial tubercle, little league elbow affecting the medial epicondyle of the distal humerus or Sever’s in the heel affecting the calcaneus. Today on the latest Research review episode, I will be discussing some recent research about apophyseal problems.    Connect with The Host! Subscribe to This Podcast Now!        The ultimate success for every podcaster – is FEEDBACK! Be sure to take just a few minutes to tell the hosts of this podcast what YOU think over at Apple Podcasts! It takes only a few minutes but helps the hosts of this program pave the way to future greatness! Not an Apple Podcasts user? No problem! Be sure to check out any of the other many growing podcast directories online to find this and many other podcasts via The Podcaster Matrix!     Housekeeping -- Get the whole story about Dr.