A Method for Measuring Swelling of Hands and Feet: Part I Normal Variations and Applications in Inflammatory Joint Diseases

Abstract

SummaryThe size of the hands and wrists and of the feet and ankles can be accurately and quickly determined by a simple apparatus using the principle of water displacement. The measurements of the hands and wrists of 36 normal active individuals taken both in the morning and in the afternoon of the same day showed a difference in volume of less than 1 %. Variations of the normal hands and wrists between the morning and afternoon during five successive days showed a mean coefficient of variation of 1.5 %. The accuracy of hand-volume apparatus was tested in ten normal subjects. Ten determinations of the hand size made in rapid succession in each of these ten normal individuals showed a variation of less than 1 %.The volume of the feet varied more from hour to hour and from day to day than did the volume of the hands. For this reason, it is recommended that measurements of the feet be taken early in the morning and at the same time of the day. Under these conditions the normal variation from day to day has b...