Distal first metatarsal epiphysis. A common pediatric variant.

While most anatomists have referred to a distal epiphyseal growth plate in the first metatarsal as rare or occasional, one definitive study has shown this accessory growth center to be extremely common in children under the age of 12 years. The authors discuss the significance of this phenomenon, and present a literary review, a clinical case report, and a retrospective radiographic study of 217 pediatric feet, confirming the incidence of the distal growth plate.