The intertester and intratester reliability of hand volumetrics.

The purpose of this study was to examine the intertester and intratester reliability of hand volumetric measurements comparing two different protocols. The first protocol involved three clinicians at an outpatient facility interpreting the manufacturer's volumeter instructions. At the second university site, three testers utilized a modified version of the American Society of Hand Therapists' recommended protocol. Three measurements were taken of each of 30 nonedematous hands per site. Reliability was assessed using only the first measurement and using the mean of the three measurements. Results for both protocols revealed very high intertester reliability (ICC=0.99) whether using the first measurement or the mean of three measurements. Intratester reliability was also very high (ICC=0.99) using either protocol. Standard error of measurement values are included and additional variables, which may affect the reliability of hand volumetrics, are discussed. The authors conclude that there is high reliability with volumetric measurements.