Doing 600 high jumps every day causes bone inflammation...Can I still jump after doing this?

Previously, some parents gave their children sex hormone suppression injections, and now there are cases of tibial tubercle epiphysiitis caused by high jumping. This generation of parents is too dedicated to their children's height.

Recently, a couple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, worried that their 12-year-old boy Linlin would not grow tall, so they asked him to do 600 high jumps every day. After more than half a month, he was diagnosed with tibial tubercle epiphysisitis. Doctors said that this symptom is related to sudden and large amounts of strenuous exercise.

The incident caused heated discussion among netizens. They all said that a baby's growth will not be a problem, but excessive intervention in a child's height can easily cause problems.

01

What is the tibial tubercle?

The human body has a total of 206 bones, which are of different shapes and lengths and are divided into four categories: long bones, short bones, flat bones and irregular bones. The tibia is a long bone located in the front of the lower leg, below the kneecap. It is the attachment point of the most powerful quadriceps muscle in the front of the thigh. Its upper end protrudes forward and is called the tibial tuberosity.

Figure/arrow points to tibial tubercle

Newborn babies have cartilage at both ends of their long bones and cartilage. Cartilage is the basis of bones. During the growth and development period of the human body, cartilage keeps growing, which makes the bones grow longer and the body grows taller.

02

What is epiphysisitis?

The tibial tuberosity is also cartilage. Around the age of 11, the tibial tuberosity begins to ossify, with an ossification point in the center (medically called an "epiphysis"), but the surrounding cartilage is still relatively weak.

If the lower limbs are moved frequently and with high intensity during this period, the tibial tuberosity may be repeatedly stretched and torn, leading to aseptic inflammation. The nearby soft tissues are affected, causing swelling and pain, which affects the activity.

Image source: pixabay

Among adolescents aged 11-15, the prevalence of tibial tubercle epiphysis is as high as 9.8% (11.4% for males and 8.3% for females), especially for boys who love sports. Lin Lin, who jumped 600 times a day in the news, fits the above situation.

The knee pain caused by tibial tubercle epiphysis is mostly unilateral, but 20% to 30% of adolescents experience bilateral pain. Pressing the tibial tubercle with your hands will cause obvious pain, which usually improves after stopping exercise for a few minutes to a few hours, but will reappear after exercise again.

In this case, no special examination is generally required, and the diagnosis can be basically made through questioning and physical examination. If it is to exclude low-probability events such as bone tumors, or to understand the local damage to the epiphysis, the doctor will often assist with the examination of X-rays.

Fortunately, this disease is self-limiting. As long as the tibial tubercle is fully developed, fully ossified, and integrated with the tibia, the inflammatory symptoms will naturally disappear. In cases like Linlin, who is still in the pain attack period, it is necessary to limit knee joint activities, avoid running, jumping, and hopping, and relieve symptoms by taking anti-inflammatory analgesics.

Doctors say that the tibial tuberosity epiphysis is not the epiphysis that controls body height, and its inflammation will not affect development.

03

So where is the part that determines a person's height?

A person's height is the sum of the lengths of the skull, spine, and lower limb bones. The skull is fully developed at around 1 year old, but the spine has a long growth cycle and grows slowly, so we can't rely on it. The only thing we can rely on is the lower limbs.

The length of the lower limbs is determined by the long bones of the thighs and calves. Before the long bones mature, the epiphyses continue to grow and ossify toward the diaphysis, making the long bones continue to lengthen; after the long bones mature, the epiphyses stop moving and completely ossify, which is what we often call "epiphyseal closure". After the epiphyses of the long bones are closed, the long bones will no longer grow, and people will not be able to grow taller!

Although they are both epiphyses, it is clear that the long bone epiphysis and the tibial tuberosity epiphysis are not the same thing.

Any method to promote height growth will only be effective before the epiphysis closes.

Recalling the cause of Linlin's injury, his parents hoped that he would grow taller. But in fact, adult height is largely determined by genes.

60%-85% of a person's height is determined by genes. For example, malnutrition during pregnancy can affect the height of 15%-20% of babies after birth. In addition, precocious puberty, lack of sleep, incorrect posture, hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism, etc. can also affect height.

Studies have found that March to May each year is the "golden period for growth", with height growth rate twice that of summer. Children grow fastest in May and slowest in October.

How much height growth is normal at each stage? Generally, babies under 3 years old grow about 7cm/year, 4-5cm/year from 3 years old to puberty, and about 5.5-6cm/year during puberty. The growth cycle begins to count down at about 12-14 years old for girls and 14-15 years old for boys. With the continuous release of sex hormones, the channel for bone growth is "blocked", and the space for growth basically disappears.

04

Can I still jump high?

Reasonable exercise also has obvious benefits, which can improve bone density and strength, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. However, excessive high jumps not only fail to achieve the purpose of growing taller, but may also cause unnecessary developmental damage.

If you want to exercise safely, the following points are important:

1. Do not let your child wear tight clothing, especially socks that are tight around the ankles or difficult to put on and take off, as this will affect blood circulation.

2. Wear shock-resistant shoes and choose a flat surface. Also take good care of your spine, maintain a correct sitting and standing posture, and avoid long-term weight pressure on the spine.

3. If you have joint tendon problems or osteoporosis, be cautious when doing high jumps. You can consult a doctor to choose low-impact exercises.

Finally, I would like to remind you that parents should not push too hard, or it may backfire. Besides, what’s wrong with being short? Others still have to bow their heads obediently...

END

Review expert: Wang Linjue, deputy chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Tadpole Musical Notation original article, please indicate the source when reprinting

Editor/Heart and Paper