How do doctors check growth plates?

With a CT scan a doctor may be able to see whether cartilage in the growth plate has started to harden into bone—an indication that the growth plate may be closing too early as a result of injury. A CT scan may also provide a better view than an X-ray of small bone fractures that could be causing your child’s symptoms.

How do you know if I have damaged my growth plates?

Signs and symptoms of a growth plate fracture may include: Pain and tenderness, particularly in response to pressure on the growth plate. Inability to move the affected area or to put weight or pressure on the limb. Warmth and swelling at the end of a bone, near a joint.

What does a growth plate look like on an xray?

Growth plates are easy to spot on an X-ray because they’re softer and contain less mineral, making them appear darker on an X-ray image than the rest of the bone. As kids grow, growth plates change in appearance on the X-ray images and become thinner, eventually disappearing (this is what is called “closed growth plates”).

How do I know if my growth plates are open or closed?

You can scan every part of the body that has growth plate, but the easiest and most common one is wrist. So go have an x-ray and find out if your growth plates are closed or not. Look the picture at right and you will see the difference between closed and opened growth plates.You don’t need to be a doctor to see the difference

What does it mean when your growth plates disappear?

What It Is. As kids grow, growth plates change in appearance on the X-ray images and become thinner, eventually disappearing (this is what is called “closed growth plates”). Because they look different at each age, a doctor can assign a bone age based on the appearance of the bones and growth plates.

Can X-rays be wrong?

Well, they can be wrong, because the X-Rays some doctors decide to take is only for 1 or 2 specific areas. For most doctors they ask for an X-ray of the wrists and maybe the knee area. They are checking your limbs to look for the growth plates.