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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
A Novel Use of Three-dimensional High-frequency Ultrasonography for Early Pregnancy Characterization in the Mouse
Published on: October 24, 2017
Sonographic nomogram of the fetal calf between 15 and 42 weeks' gestation using 3-dimensional sonography
Reli Hershkovitz1, Ronnie Tepper
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, 84101 Be'er Sheva, Israel. ralikah@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
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.
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