Horse Anatomy Exam 1 Practice 2026 - Free Horse Anatomy Practice Questions and Study Guide.

Longitudinal growth of a long bone happens at the epiphyseal plate, a cartilaginous layer located between the epiphysis (the end part) and the metaphysis/diaphysis. Chondrocytes in this region proliferate, mature, and are gradually replaced by bone, pushing the ends of the bone further apart and lengthening it. The epiphysis itself is the end portion that articulates with joints, and articular cartilage covers its joint surface. The shaft houses the medullary cavity, not the growth process. When growth ends, the plate ossifies into the epiphyseal line. So the growth region associated with the epiphysis is the growth plate.