An instrument for monitoring stump oedema and shrinkage in amputees

A new system for measuring the cross-sectional area profiles of amputation stumps and whole limbs has been designed at the Amputee Research Centre. The instrument consists of a cylindrical tank supported on an elevator. The tank is raised to the height of the amputation stump and filled with water. A graph of the cross-sectional area profile of the amputation stump is generated by a mini-computer as the elevator descends. The cross-sectional area (A) is calculated from the expression: formula: (see text) where Hw = height of water in the tank He = height of the elevator Ac = a constant, related to the size of the measuring tank. This paper describes the instrument, which may find application in many other areas where there is a need to study shape.