Medical Term
epiphysis
also: epiphyses
the softer end of a long BONE that is separated from the shaft by a plate (the epiphyseal plate) of CARTILAGE . It develops separately from the shaft, but when the bone stops growing it disappears as the head and shaft fuse. Separation of the epiphysis is a serious fracture because the growing bone may be affected.
Source: mediLexicon corpus · slug
epiphysis