The epiphyseal growth plate is a developmental region responsible for linear bone
growth, in which chondrocytes undertake a tightly regulated series of biological pro-
cesses. Concomitant with the cessation of growth and sexual maturation, the human
growth plate undergoes progressive narrowing, and ultimately disappears. Despite the
crucial role of this growth plate fusion “bridging” event, the precise mechanisms by
which it is governed are complex and yet to be established. Progress is hindered by
the current methods for growth plate visualization; these are invasive and largely rely on
histological procedures. Here, we describe our non-invasive method utilizing synchro-
tron X-ray computed microtomography for the examination of growth plate bridging,
which ultimately leads to its closure coincident with termination of further longitudinal
bone growth. We then apply this method to a dataset obtained from a benchtop micro
computed tomography scanner to highlight its potential for wide usage. Furthermore, we
conduct finite element modeling at the micron-scale to reveal the effects of growth plate
bridging on local tissue mechanics. Employment of these 3D analyses of growth plate
bone bridging is likely to advance our understanding of the physiological mechanisms
that control growth plate fusion.