Lower Limb Volume Measurements: Standardization and Reproducibility of an Adapted Optical Leg Volume Meter

Abstract

Objective:To investigate the reproducibility of an adapted optical leg volume meter and to determine intraindividual volume changes of the lower legs on separate days and in the course of a working day in healthy volunteers.Design:Adaptation of a standard optical leg volume meter, ‘volometer’, and calibration on an artificial leg and on volunteers. 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 volume 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 times.Results:Adaptation of the volometer resulted in a reproducibility of 0.07% in an artificial leg and of 0.46% in volunteers. A significant 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 volume meter resulted in reproducible recordings of the volume of lower legs. In the course of the day an increase in volume occurs.