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Sonographic Nomogram of the Fetal Calf Between 15 and 42 Weeks’ Gestation Using 3‐Dimensional Sonography
Author(s) -
Hershkovitz Reli,
Tepper Ronnie
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2008.27.5.701
Subject(s) - medicine , gestation , gestational age , nomogram , clubfoot , oligohydramnios , obstetrics , prospective cohort study , biceps , peroneus longus , pregnancy , anatomy , surgery , ankle , deformity , genetics , biology
Objective. The purpose of this study was to establish a new reference growth chart of calf muscle biometric measurements throughout gestation in normal singleton pregnancies. Methods. A prospective cohort study was designed. One hundred pregnant women were included in the study and assessed by 3‐dimensional sonography. Excluded were those with multiple pregnancies, congenital anomalies, abnormal karyotypes, and polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios. Three‐dimensional multiplanar sonographic images were used to measure the calf muscles: soleus, gastrocnemius, popliteal, peroneus longus, and tibialis posterior. Results. Calf muscle widths increased with increasing gestational age ( R 2 = 0.857; P < .0001), and the ratio between calf muscles and the tibia increased as well ( R 2 = 0.356; P = .001). Conclusions. The data provide a nomogram of calf width with a direct correlation between muscle growth and gestational age. This nomogram can offer a basis for normal calf development and may assist in distinguishing between different etiologies leading to clubfoot and other joint contractures associated with calf atrophy.