Metaphysis is the narrow portion of a long bone between the epiphysis and the diaphysis, where growing tissue remains and bone lengthening occurs. In anatomy discussions, it refers to this transitional region, often near the metaphyseal growth plate. It’s a technical term used in medical, anatomical, and educational contexts.
"The radiograph showed widening of the metaphysis in the pediatric patient."
"Fractures can involve the metaphysis, requiring careful imaging to assess growth plate integrity."
"Researchers studied metaphysis development to understand bone growth in adolescence."
"During surgery, the metaphysis must be preserved to avoid impairing bone growth."
Metaphysis derives from Greek meta- ‘beyond, after, between’ and physō ‘to grow, to cause to grow’. The term first appeared in medical literature in the 19th century as anatomical science formalized bone regions. The Greek roots reflect its place between the epiphysis (end part of a long bone) and the diaphysis (shaft). Over time, metaphysis gained precise meaning in radiology and pediatric orthopedics, describing the metaphyseal region near the growth plate responsible for longitudinal bone growth. The word’s use expanded with advances in bone imaging and pediatric growth studies, cementing its role as a standard anatomical term in anatomy textbooks and clinical practice.
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Words that rhyme with "Metaphysis"
-sis sounds
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as me-TAH-phy-sis, with stress on the third syllable. IPA: US ˌmetəˈfaɪsɪs; the key is the -phy- sounding like 'fy' as in 'fly' /faɪ/. Your mouth starts with a light 'meh' then tighter nucleus on 'phy' and ends softly with 'sis'.
Common errors: 1) Stress misplacement (putting main stress on the first syllable, me-TAH-phy-sis); 2) Mispronouncing -phy- as /fiː/ or /fi/ instead of /faɪ/; 3) Dropping or altering the final -sis to /sɪs/ vs /zɪs/. Correction: say me-tuh-FY-sis, keep /faɪ/ in the stressed syllable, and end with a clear /sɪs/.
Across US/UK/AU, the primary difference is vowel quality in the stressed -phy- syllable. US often reduces unstressed vowels more (ˌmetəˈfaɪsɪs), UK and AU maintain a similar pattern, with /ˈfaɪ/ rather than /faɪ/ depending on speaker. Rhoticity affects preceding syllables slightly; in non-rhotic UK speech you may hear a slightly weaker 'r' influence in the first syllable, but the main stressed -PHY- remains /faɪ/.
The difficulty centers on the -physis and -phy- syllables combining /faɪ/ with an unaccented ending. The sequence “-phy-” requires a high front glide /ɪ/ or /i/ following /faɪ/ and a final /sɪs/ unless spoken quickly. The tri-syllabic rhythm with unusual medical terminology makes it easy to misplace stress or substitute /fiː/ for /faɪ/.
A distinctive feature is the diphthong in the -phy- segment: /faɪ/ (sounds like 'fye') rather than a monophthong. This distinguishes metaphysis from similar-looking terms like epiphysis (/ˌɛpɪˈfɪsɪs/). Focus on the glide into /aɪ/ and keep the following /sɪs/ crisp to avoid turning it into /sɪz/.
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