Reliability and concurrent validity of the figure-of-eight method of measuring hand size in patients with hand pathology

Study Design: 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 and Measures: 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 2 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. Conclusion: The figure-of-eight method is a reliable and valid measure of hand size in individuals with conditions affecting the hand.