An Obturator Reduces Time for Volumetric Measurements of the Foot and Ankle

Abstract

Increased volume of a body region is often described as swelling, and can be intra- or extra-articular. Swelling in the lower limb can follow immobilization, surgery, or trauma such as an ankle sprain. Assessment and reduction of swelling should be pursued vigorously, especially after trauma, because fibrinous exudation and swelling of capillary endothelial cells can result in scar tissue formation that impedes rehabilitation. Different methods are used to measure volume of the foot and ankle, such as the figure-of-eight method with a tape, and water displacement volumetry. Water displacement provides a direct measure of volume and is the gold standard or criterion reference for other methods. The foot is immersed into a water-filled tank and the volume of displaced water is measured. The advantage over tape methods is that volume can actually be determined, compared with indirect estimates of volume that only correlate with volume change. One significant disadvantage of water displacement volumetry is th...