Swiss Cardiovascular Center, Division of Clinical and Interventional Angiology Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2011 Oct 5;11:138. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-11-138.
Leg edema is a common manifestation of various underlying pathologies. Reliable measurement tools are required to quantify edema and monitor therapeutic interventions. Aim of the present work was to investigate the reproducibility of optoelectronic leg volumetry over 3 weeks' time period and to eliminate daytime related within-individual variability.
Optoelectronic leg volumetry was performed in 63 hairdressers (mean age 45 ± 16 years, 85.7% female) in standing position twice within a minute for each leg and repeated after 3 weeks. Both lower leg (legBD) and whole limb (limbBF) volumetry were analysed. Reproducibility was expressed as analytical and within-individual coefficients of variance (CVA, CVW), and as intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC).
A total of 492 leg volume measurements were analysed. Both legBD and limbBF volumetry were highly reproducible with CVA of 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively. Within-individual reproducibility of legBD and limbBF volumetry over a three weeks' period was high (CVW 1.3% for both; ICC 0.99 for both). At both visits, the second measurement revealed a significantly higher volume compared to the first measurement with a mean increase of 7.3 ml ± 14.1 (0.33% ± 0.58%) for legBD and 30.1 ml ± 48.5 ml (0.52% ± 0.79%) for limbBF volume. A significant linear correlation between absolute and relative leg volume differences and the difference of exact day time of measurement between the two study visits was found (P < .001). A therefore determined time-correction formula permitted further improvement of CVW.
Leg volume changes can be reliably assessed by optoelectronic leg volumetry at a single time point and over a 3 weeks' time period. However, volumetry results are biased by orthostatic and daytime-related volume changes. The bias for day-time related volume changes can be minimized by a time-correction formula.
腿部水肿是各种潜在病理的常见表现。需要可靠的测量工具来量化水肿并监测治疗干预措施。本研究旨在探讨光电腿部体积测量在 3 周时间内的可重复性，并消除与日间相关的个体内变异性。
在站立位，对 63 名美发师（平均年龄 45 ± 16 岁，85.7%为女性）的双腿各进行两次光电腿部体积测量，每次测量时间为 1 分钟，3 周后重复测量。同时分析小腿（legBD）和整个肢体（limbBF）的体积。重复性用分析和个体内变异系数（CVA、CVW）和组内相关系数（ICC）表示。
共分析了 492 次腿部体积测量。小腿（legBD）和整个肢体（limbBF）的体积均具有高度可重复性，CVA 分别为 0.5%和 0.7%。在 3 周的时间内，个体内小腿（legBD）和整个肢体（limbBF）体积的重复性较高（CVW 均为 1.3%；ICC 均为 0.99）。在两次测量中，第二次测量的体积均明显高于第一次测量，小腿（legBD）体积平均增加 7.3 ml ± 14.1（0.33% ± 0.58%），整个肢体（limbBF）体积平均增加 30.1 ml ± 48.5 ml（0.52% ± 0.79%）。两次研究就诊时的绝对和相对腿部体积差异以及测量时间的精确日时间差异之间存在显著线性相关性（P <.001）。因此确定的时间校正公式可以进一步提高 CVW。
光电腿部体积测量可以在单个时间点和 3 周时间内可靠地评估腿部体积变化。然而，体积测量结果受到体位和日间相关体积变化的影响。通过时间校正公式可以最大限度地减少与日间相关的体积变化偏差。
