epiphysis
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An epiphysis (; : epiphyses) is one of the rounded ends or tips of a long bone that ossify from one or more secondary centers of ossification. Between the epiphysis and diaphysis (the long midsection of the long bone) lies the metaphysis, including the epiphyseal plate (growth plate). During formation of the secondary ossification center, vascular canals (epiphysial canals) stemming from the perichondrium invade the epiphysis, supplying nutrients to the developing secondary centers of ossification. At the joint, the epiphysis is covered with articular cartilage; below that covering is a zone s
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Epiphysis
- Anatomy.Image
- Structure of a Long Bone.png
- Anatomy.Caption
- Structure of a long bone, with epiphysis labeled at top and bottom.
- Anatomy.part_of
- Long bones
via Wikipedia infobox
Research
24,420 papers- Vascularized Fibula Epiphysis Transfer for Pediatric Extremity Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Annals of plastic surgery · 2019
- Nonossifying Fibroma Involving Epiphysis of Long Bone-Case Report and Review of the Literature.Applied immunohistochemistry & molecular morphology : AIMM · 2023
- The "Discoid Epiphysis"-An Uncommon Presentation of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease.Journal of pediatric orthopedics · 2022
- Forensic age estimation using conventional radiography of the medial clavicular epiphysis: A systematic review.Medicine, science, and the law · 2021
- Biomimetic epiphysis inspired by natural developmental mechanisms promote the repair of large-scale epiphyseal defects.Biomaterials · 2026
via PubMed
~5 min read
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Bones with an epiphysis
- Pseudo-epiphysis
- Clinical significance
- Additional images
- References
An epiphysis (; : epiphyses) is one of the rounded ends or tips of a long bone that ossify from one or more secondary centers of ossification. Between the epiphysis and diaphysis (the long midsection of the long bone) lies the metaphysis, including the epiphyseal plate (growth plate). During formation of the secondary ossification center, vascular canals (epiphysial canals) stemming from the perichondrium invade the epiphysis, supplying nutrients to the developing secondary centers of ossification. At the joint, the epiphysis is covered with articular cartilage; below that covering is a zone similar to the epiphyseal plate, known as subchondral bone. The epiphysis is mostly found in mammals but it is also present in some lizards. However, the secondary center of ossification may have evolved multiple times, having been found in the Jurassic sphenodont Sapheosaurus as well as in the therapsid Niassodon mfumukasi.
The epiphysis is filled with red bone marrow, which produces erythrocytes (red blood cells).