title: Comparative study between circumferential method and laser scanner 3D method for the evaluation of arm volume in healthy subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Accurate and convenient measurement of upper limb volume is an important clinical tool to measure incidence of lymphedema and response to treatments. There are several methods used to evaluate arm volumes. The most commonly used methods include water displacement and circumferential method (CM), but these techniques have some limitation in use and accuracy that needs the use of a new technique for volume and swelling detection: laser scanner 3D method (LS3D). The aim of the study was to compare, in terms of intra- and interreliability, the CM and LS3D methods for the upper limb measure in a healthy subject group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve healthy adults (average age, 29 ± 5.39 years; average weight, 63.88 ± 7.97 kg; and average height, 168.38 ± 7.29 cm) participated. Arm measurements were done using both CM and LS3D methods. Statistical analysis was conducted, and intra- and inter-reliability was investigated. CM and LS3D methods were also compared in terms of level of agreement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both CM and LS3D methods have a high inter- and intrarater reliability and a satisfactory level of agreement, but we found a statistically significant difference in terms of volume. The laser scanner is a more accurate volume instrument, and our results shown a statistically significant difference of volumes between methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide LS3D is an innovative method of measuring the upper limb volume that could be used instead of CM. It combines precision, reproducibility, ease of use, and the ability to measure geometrical parameters and shape information of the scanned limb.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: nicola.cau@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cau
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy; IRCCS "San Raffaele Pisana", Tosinvest Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cimolin
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aranci
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care (Pain Therapy - Rehabilitation) Fondazione IRCCS, National Cancer Institute of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caraceni
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care (Pain Therapy - Rehabilitation) Fondazione IRCCS, National Cancer Institute of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Augusta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balzarini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult