Reliability and Concurrent Validity of the Ring Gauge Method and the Metacarpal Head Tape Measure Method of Measuring...

There are several methods for measuring edema of the hand. While the volumetric techniques, finger circumference measurement, and figure-of-eight techniques have undergone extensive psychometric testing, alternative methods of measuring hand size, such as circumferential finger size determination using a ring gauge (ring gauge method; RGM) and tape measurement of hand girth taken along the distal palmar crease (metacarpal head tape measure method; MHTM), have not. This study's aim is to examine the reliability and validity of the RGM and the MHTM.

In this cross-sectional study, two examiners measured 22 hands in 22 patients with hand edema using the RGM and the MHTM 3 times each to determine intra- and inter-tester reliability. The validity of each method was established using the finger circumference measurement and figure-of-eight method, respectively.

The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) obtained for intra-tester reliability was 0.99-0.98 for both methods. ICCs for inter-tester reliability were 0.97-0.98 for the RGM and 0.98 for the MHTM. Pearson product-moment correlation values between the RGM and finger circumference measurement were 0.92-0.96, while those between the MHTM and figure-of-eight method were 0.84-0.90.

The RGM and the MHTM are reliable and valid evaluation tools for the assessment of hand size.