title: Rupture of the gastrocnemius muscle in neonatal thoroughbred foals: a report of three cases.
abstract: Rupture of the gastrocnemius muscle is occasionally found in neonatal foals associated with dystocia and assisted delivery. In this report, 3 cases of gastrocnemius muscle disruption in newborn Thoroughbred foals (6, 5 and 2 days old) are reported. In all cases, the foals were presented with inability to rise unassisted postpartum, a dropped tarsus and swelling in the caudal aspect of the thigh accompanied by a hematoma. Ultrasonography, radiography, computerized tomography (CT) and subsequent autopsy were performed to confirm the clinical and pathological features of these cases.
authors.affiliation: Hidaka Training and Research Center, Japan Racing Association, Hokkaido 057-0171, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Hidaka Horse Breeders Association, Hokkaido 056-0002, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Hidaka Horse Breeders Association, Hokkaido 056-0002, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsumori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shikichi
authors.affiliation: Hidaka Horse Breeders Association, Hokkaido 056-0002, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Hidaka Training and Research Center, Japan Racing Association, Hokkaido 057-0171, Japan.
authors.forename: Harutaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murase
authors.affiliation: Epizootic Research Center, Japan Racing Association, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidehumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furuoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
keywords: Thoroughbred; foal; gastrocnemius muscle; hematoma; rupture