Are there growth plates in the foot

They're made up of cartilage, a rubbery, flexible material the nose, for instance, is made of cartilage. When kids are done growing, the growth plates harden into solid bone.

This happens in girls around ages 13—15 and in boys around ages 15— A growth plate fracture is a break in the growth plate of a child or teen. They happen most often in the bones of the fingers, forearm, and lower leg. Most growth plate fractures happen from falling or twisting.

Contact sports like football or basketball or fast-moving activities like skiing, skateboarding, sledding, or biking are common causes. Growth plate fractures also can happen from repetitive activities, like training for gymnastics or pitching a baseball. A child with a growth plate fracture can have pain, swelling, and trouble moving and using the injured body part. This happens most often in the bones of the fingers, forearm, and lower leg.

Most growth plate fractures heal and do not affect future bone growth. Sometimes, changes in the growth plate from the fracture can cause problems later. For example, the bone could end up a little crooked or a bit longer or shorter than expected. Overuse injuries also called repetitive stress injuries can affect the growth plate in kids and teens.

Overuse injuries happens from repeating the same movement over and over. They usually happen to people who play sports. This often means different parts of the body are strenuously moving in different directions at the same time. When those moves involve the feet, a sprain or strain of an ankle is a frequent result. Ligaments are the resilient straps of collagen that bind one bone to another bone.

The cords of collagen that bind muscles to bones are called tendons. The symptoms of both sprains and strains include pain, bruising, limited movement, and instability. A strain can also cause muscle spasms and weakness. The acronym of RICE describes the standard treatment for each condition: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. In other words, minimize use of the affected ankle, ice it down, bind it with an athletic bandage, and spend as much time as possible with the ankle elevated.

And remember those growth plates. The overuse causes inflammation of the growth plate in the heel. The result is pain in the lower heel, where the Achilles tendon joins the large heel bone aka the calcaneus. Give it a rest. Some physical therapy can be helpful, but generally anti-inflammatory medications and usually time will heal this heel problem.

However, severe cases will require podiatric intervention. Bunions are bony protrusions at the base of the big toe. The origin of bunions is often hereditary, and girls are more susceptible than boys. Generally speaking, a bunion is the consequence of a structural misalignment of the joint between the big toe and the first metatarsal. Most growth plate fractures occur in bones of the fingers, forearm and lower leg. Signs and symptoms of a growth plate fracture may include:. If you suspect a fracture, take your child to be examined by a doctor.

Also have your child evaluated if you notice a visible deformity in your child's arms or legs, or if your child is having trouble playing sports because of persistent pain. Growth plate fractures can occasionally be caused by overuse, which can occur during sports training or repetitive throwing. Growth plate fractures occur twice as often in boys as in girls, because girls finish growing earlier than do boys.

By the age of 12, most girls' growth plates have already matured and been replaced with solid bone. Most growth plate fractures heal with no complications. But the following factors can increase the risk of crooked, accelerated or stunted bone growth.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.