Reliability and concurrent validity of the figure-of-eight method of measuring hand size in patients with hand pathology.
METHODS
Methodological study using correlational methods.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the intratester and intertester reliability and concurrent validity of the figure-of-eight method of measuring hand size in patients with hand pathology.


BACKGROUND
Measuring edema is an important component of the physical examination of patients with conditions affecting the hand. The figure-of-eight method of measuring hand size has been suggested as an alternative to volumetry. The reliability and concurrent validity of the figure-of-eight method has been established in individuals without hand pathology, but not in patients with conditions involving the hand.


METHODS
Participants were 24 patients with conditions affecting the hand, 9 with bilateral involvement. Two testers performed 3 figure-of-eight measurements of hand size each. A third tester performed 2 volumetric measurements. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3,1) was used to determine intratester reliability of both measurement procedures. ICC2,3 was used to examine intertester reliability of the figure-of-eight method. Pearson product moment correlation coefficients examining the association between the 2 methods were used to establish concurrent validity of the figure-of-eight technique.


RESULTS
Intratester ICCs for figure-of-eight and volumetric methods were 0.98 to 0.99. The intertester ICC for the figure-of-eight method was 0.99. Pearson correlation coefficients examining the relationship between the 2 methods were 0.92 to 0.94.


CONCLUSIONS
The figure-of-eight method is a reliable and valid measure of hand size in individuals with conditions affecting the hand.
Leard
John S
JS
Physical Therapy Department, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA. leard@hartford.edu
Breglio
Lynn
L
Fraga
Lorraine
L
Ellrod
Nicole
N
Nadler
Laura
L
Yasso
Michael
M
Fay
Eric
E
Ryan
Kate
K
Pellecchia
Geraldine L
GL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results