Why is bone growth impossible, for example if growth plates have closed. Knowing how growth plates work, why would applying enough pressure through whatever means you’d like (let’s use a weight for example) allowing to create space within the bone (growth plate) allowing for more bone to grow.
Obviously, you have to apply an exceptional amount of pressure to the epiphyseal to allow the bones to separate, causing growth.
Disclaimer: i’m aware of the basic reasoning behind it, but feel like there is more of a reasoning behind it
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I feel as though this question is best answered by taking a step back and getting some context.
Human bones grow in length by a process known as endochondral ossification, after birth this occurs at regions known as epiphyseal growth plates.
These plates are a cartilaginous (made of cartilage) area, found between the diaphysis (shaft) and epiphysis (head) of the bone.
Within the plate itself there are, for simplicity’s sake, three ‘zones’:
1: Turning into bone
2: Making new cartilage cells
3: Just chilling
When Epiphyseal fusion occurs, a number of hormones and biological activities occur, which results in these three layers being ossified (turned into bone). Which means the epiphyseal plate as you described it in your question no longer exists as you might think it does.
After this has occured most of the chondrocytes (cartilage cells) have died, or have been ossified meaning there’s no new cartilage being made to get turned into bone.
Even if we were to try and stretch the bone, there is fundamentally not enough ‘chondral’ (cartilage) for endochondral ossification to occur.
Edit: Spacing
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