LOWER-LIMB VOLUME MEASUREMENTS - STANDARDIZATION AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF AN ADAPTED OPTICAL LEG VOLUME METER

Objective: To investigate the reproducibility of an adapted optical le g volume meter and to determine intraindividual volume changes of the lower legs on separate days and in the course of a working day in heal thy volunteers. Design: Adaptation of a standard optical leg volume me ter, 'volometer', and calibration on an artificial leg and on voluntee rs. Study of the behaviour of lower leg volume in volunteers. Setting: Free University Hospital, Amsterdam. Participants: Thirty-six healthy volunteers, workers in the hospital. Intervention: The lower leg volu me was measured on five or six different days at the beginning and end of a full working day. Main outcome measures: Reproducibility of the adapted volometer, and volume changes of the lower legs at different t imes. Results: Adaptation of the volometer resulted in a reproducibili ty of 0.07% in an artificial leg and of 0.46% in volunteers. A signifi cant increase (p<0.0001) in the volume of the lower legs in the course of the day was observed. Conclusion: Adaptation of the optical leg vo lume meter resulted in reproducible recordings of the volume of lower legs. In the course of the day an increase in volume occurs.