During bone development there are are primary and secondary centers of ossification. In between these two sites of bone development there will be cartilage while the bone is still growing. When the primary and secondary centers of ossification, the cartilage will be gone and the bone will stop growing.
This concept in developmental biology lets us look at an X-Ray to see if a person is still getting taller. If there is cartilage in between the primary and secondary centers of ossification then the bone is still growing and the person will get taller.
Below is an X-Ray of a person that is still growing and you can see the bark band of cartilage between the primary and secondary centers of ossification.
Below is a X-Ray of a person who has reached full height. There is no cartilage present in the bone and the primary and secondary centers of ossification have grown together.
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