title: Limb deformities and three-dimensional ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the ability of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography for improvement of antenatal detection of limb deformities.
  
  
  METHODS
  347 patients were selected from a routine outpatient clinic or sent for supervision from other units because of suspected anomalies of fetal extremities. 3D ultrasound devices used in the study were Combison 530D and Voluson 530D MT (Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria) with a 3-5 MHz annular array transducer for three-dimensional volume scanning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 41 of 347 patients the initial diagnosis was suspected by two-dimensional sonography (gestational age 18-32 weeks). In 28 of 41 suspected cases the diagnosis of abnormalities was determined after examination by 3D sonography: 17/28 clubfoot, 3/28 hand-polydactily, 2/28 upper limb contractures, 1/28 lower limb contractures, 4/28 micromelia within the syndrome of skeletal dysplasia. In 13 of 41 suspected cases, normal anatomy was confirmed using 3D sonography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three-dimensional sonography is the "method of choice" for the detection of an isolated defect of a single limb, developmental or positional deformations and minor defects of hands and feet. Surface-mode reconstruction of the complete limb and transparent-view reconstruction of the entire skeletal structure are effective technical advantages enabling a completely new visual perception of the unborn baby.
authors.affiliation: Medical School University of Zagreb, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sveti Duh General Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hafner
authors.forename: Biserka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Funduk-Kurjak
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bozek
authors.forename: Asim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurjak
mesh_terms: D003025:Clubfoot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003286:Contracture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017880:Limb Deformities, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017689:Polydactyly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*