Babies don’t have the bony kneecaps that we do. Their kneecaps are only one is cartilage. Don’t mind what we call cartilage, it is a structure made up of small pieces.

Over time, these pieces of cartilage fuse together and become bony. We can think of it as a few puzzle pieces that come together over time. At the end of this process they now have a kneecap like us. Now let’s get to know this process and its details together.

What exactly is this cartilaginous structure that becomes bony over time?

cartilage and bonethat make up the skeletal system of our body are two important connective tissues. tap on cartilage joints It has many functions, such as providing a smooth surface for bones and helping long bones grow toward the neck. This tissue has a more flexible and softer structure than bone.

For this reason, we cannot say that babies do not actually have kneecaps. They have kneecaps, but they are a cartilage structure waiting to develop. Because they have a cartilaginous structure, They are not visible on X-rays.

Moreover in cartilage tissue There are no blood vessels or nerves. Feeding the cartilage cells and removing harmful substances from the tissue is therefore only possible. by diffusion is provided. Now that we’ve covered the necessary scientific information about what cartilage is, we can move on to babies.

What would happen if babies were born with a complete bony structure?

Babies are actually born with their bone tissue not yet fully formed. When they are born, that’s really all their bodies have 300 bones It is said to exist.

These bones came together over time to form the shape we have today. skeletal structure It creates. Furthermore, as these bones fuse, their number decreases over time.

Imagine babies being born with a completely rigid bone structure. It would be scary, wouldn’t it? According to the research; If such a situation could arise, birth process can make it difficult or to injuries it could have caused. Because bone has a hard structure, it can be damaged by improper pressure. possibility of breakage would be higher.

When do babies get a bony kneecap?

When a baby starts to crawl, the kneecap also starts to develop. For 10 and 12 years By this time, the kneecap has completely transformed into a bony structure. In other words: the transformation process from cartilage to bone is slow and takes many years.

What can happen during the transformation process?

Of course, if care is not taken during the baby’s development process, a number of negative situations may arise. For example, one of the negative situations that can arise is torn meniscal disease it could be. And also tendon or ligament injuries It can happen.

To avoid this, babies in the development process You may need to keep the kneecaps away from high amounts of stress or injury. So, as you can see, you shouldn’t lose sight of them.

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