Interstitial growth produces longer bones as the cartilage lengthens and is replaced by bone tissue, while appositional growth occurs when new bone tissue is deposited on the surface of the bone, resulting in bone thickening. After birth, a person's bones grow in length and thickness.

Where does Appositional growth begin?

This growth by adding to the free surface of bone is called appositional growth. Appositional growth can occur at the endosteum or peristeum where osteoclasts resorb old bone that lines the medullary cavity, while osteoblasts produce new bone tissue.

What causes Appositional growth?

The process of appositional growth occurs when the cartilage model also grows in thickness due to the addition of more extracellular matrix on the peripheral cartilage surface, which is accompanied by new chondroblasts that develop from the perichondrium.