epifüüsi ja metafüüsi vahel asuv kõhrest plaat, mis tagab luude pikkuskasvu, a horizontal band of tissue located between the ends (epiphyses) of a long bone and the growing zone (metaphysis) of the shaft. It is composed of cartilaginous, bony, and fibrous components that combine to allow for longitudinal and latitudinal growth and remodelling of the developing bone (endochondral ossification).