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Expert Q&A
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| By Michael F. Wasserman General Pediatrician | ||
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My son is quite short for his age. My doctor wants to X-ray his growth plates. What are growth plates?
Growth plates are the portions near the ends of the long bones (such as those in your arms and legs) which are the centers of lengthening (growth). Once these plates come together and close during puberty, a person cannot become taller. Normal appearance of the growth plates in the wrist and hand have been well studied for decades, so we can determine how old the bones are, a measure of the time remaining for growth. Taking an X-ray of the wrist (a "bone age study") is a normal part of the evaluation of growth status, such as short stature.
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