Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Anatomy of the Foal Foot From 0 to 7 Months

This study aimed to provide an ultrasonographic description of the anatomical development of the foal foot from 7 months pre- to 7 months postpartum. The right forelimbs of 20 foals (age range, 7-month fetus to 7-month foal) without orthopedic disease and which died for reasons unrelated to this study were examined by an experienced ultrasound operator, and reference images were obtained for every age. A 4-step protocol was used to assess images of the complete foal foot, and these were compared with macroscopic dissection, performed using a standardized protocol. It was concluded that ultrasound images correlated well with macroscopic dissection.