Anatomy of the Long Bone

With the exception of the clavicle, the long bones of children have discrete anatomical areas:

• Diaphysis
• Metaphyses
• Physes
• Epiphyses

It is useful to know where these are in order to describe x-rays in an accurate manner. The physes are a relatively weak point of the child’s skeleton, accounting for some of the differences between the location of fractures in children and adults [1,2].