What does a high TSH mean? TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone is a hormone produced in the anterior pituitary gland. This is used to help stimulate the thyroid to produce triiodothyronine (T3) or thyroxine (T4), hormones that help stimulate the metabolism.
An epiphyseal plate, more commonly known as a growth plate, is a anatomical structure present at the ends of the long bones of children and adolescents. These plates contain rapidly dividing cells that allow bones to become longer until the end of puberty.
Growth plate fusion, is when the bone stops growing and the cartilage growth plate fuses into bone. In horses, this process starts from the bottom up, with joints in the legs fusing first. Understanding growth plate fusion and when it occurs in different parts of the body is vital for managing young horses. This is because, until fusion has taken place, we can change or control (to an extent) how the bone grows.