Variation in Results of Volume Measurements of Stumps of Lower-Limb Amputees:A Comparison of 4 Methods

de Boer-Wilzing VG, Bolt A, Geertzen JH, Emmelot CH, Baars EC, Dijkstra PU. Variation in results of volume measurements of stumps of lower-limb amputees: a comparison of 4 methods. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2011;92:941-6. Objective: To analyze the reliability of 4 methods (water immersion, computer-aided design [CAD] photometric method, CAD hand scanner, and circumferential measurements) for stump volume measurement in transtibial amputees. Design: Repeated measurements. Setting: General community, ambulatory care. Participants: Transtibial amputees (N=26; mean age +/- SD, 58.7 +/- 11.0y). Interventions: Stump volume of patients with an amputation was measured on 2 occasions, each consisting of 2 sessions. In each session, stump volume was measured by 2 observers using each of the 4 methods. Sequence of observers and measurement methods was determined randomly. Main Outcome Measure: Repeatability coefficients, as a measure for reliability, for each method were calculated, as well as variance components to estimate the influence of measurement conditions on stump volumes measured. Results: Repeatability coefficients varied from 129mL CAD hand scanner to 158mL CAD photometric method. Error variance contributed 12% to the total variance. Methods contributed 36%, method-amputee and occasion-amputee interactions contributed both 25% to the error variance. Conclusions: Repeatability coefficient was lowest for the CAD hand scanner, which indicates the best reliability. Substantial differences existed in stump volumes measured between the 4 methods