Although the name might sound pretty frightening, Sever's
disease is really a common heel injury that occurs in kids. It
can be painful, but is only temporary and has no long-term
effects. About Sever's Disease Sever's disease, also called
calcaneal apophysitis, is a painful bone disorder that results
from inflammation (swelling) of the growth plate in the heel. A
growth plate, also called an epiphyseal plate, is an area at the
end of a developing bone where cartilage cells change over time
into bone cells. As this occurs, the growth plates expand and
unite, which is how bones grow. Sever's disease is a common
cause of heel pain in growing kids, especially those who are
physically active. It usually occurs during the growth spurt of
adolescence, the approximately 2-year period in early puberty
when kids grow most rapidly. This growth spurt can begin any
time between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls and 10 and 15 for
boys. Sever's disease rarely occurs in older teens because the
back of the heel usually finishes