RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS OF UPPER AND LOWER HEALTHY LIMBS

Abstract

 Introduction: the volume of the limbs can be determined by different methods more or less sophisticated. The circumference measurements is one of the most commonly used method in physical therapy clinical practice. Circumference measurements is a simple and economical method allowing not only calculate the overall volume of a limb but measuring different levels of the limb and thus locate where volume changes occur. Objective: the purpose of this study was to determine if upper and lower healthy limbs girth measurements are valid and reliable. Material and method: three healthy subjects, two females and one male, participated in the intra and intertester reliability of this study. The study was carried out in the Research Physiotherapy Unit, Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Alcalá. Procedure: girth was assessed at five different upper extremity sites and at six different lower extremity sites by three physical therapists with at least five years of experience, using two different tapes measure for each measure during two sessions. Each session consisted of 2 sets of measurements. Between the 2 sets spent 1 hour, and in each set, each assessor took the measurements with two different tape measures. The measurements were repeated on the same day of the week, 7 days later. Results: we calculated the variability due to individual fac-tors and systematic differences in some factors. To establish significant differences ANOVA test was used. Intra-re-liability «p» values does not suggest significant differences in upper extremity (p = 0.844) and in lower limb (p =0.746). In the inter-reliability «p» values suggest important differences in both limbs (p < 0.001). Conclusions: circumference measurement is a reproducible and reliable method in healthy persons, applying by the same assessor, maintaining the same conditions and using the same tape.