LEG VOLUME MEASUREMENTS WITH A MODIFIED OPTOELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Objective: To evaluate the reproducibility of a modified optoelectroni c volume measurement system (the volometer) . Design: In the first par t of the study healthy volunteers and one investigator were used to ev aluate the intraobserver reproducibility; in the second part one healt hy volunteer and different investigators were used to evaluate the int erobserver reproducibility. Setting: Department of Dermatology, Academ isch Ziekenhuis Maastrict, The Netherlands. Patients: Twenty healthy v olunteers for the first part of the study; eight doctors and one healt hy volunteer for the second part. Main outcome measures: Optoelectroni c volume measurements on one leg over a standard distance of 40 cm and over 20 cm with the use of a laser pointer as calibration. A total of eight measurements were performed on each volunteer. The same procedu re was performed by different investigators on one volunteer. Results: The modified optoelectronic measurement system with laser pointer cal ibration showed an improvement of the reproducibility of 27% in the in traobserver study. An improvement of 11% was found in the interobserve r study. Conclusions: The modified optoelectronic volume measurement s ystem (the volometer) provides a better reproducibility than the stand ard system. The instrument can be used for easy and rapid volume measu rements in phlebological practice.