Reliability of the Figure of Eight Method for Ankle Swelling

What is it about?

Measurements of ankle swelling are commonly performed to determine the nature and stage of injury and to monitor progress made during rehabilitation. Water volumetry and the figure of eight method are 2 techniques used to measure ankle swelling. The purpose of this study was to determine the interrater and intrarater reliability of water volumetry and the figure of eight method on subjects with ankle joint swelling.

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Why is it important?

We found high interrater reliability for both the water volumetry (ICC [intraclass correlation coefficient] = 0.99) and figure of eight methods (ICC = 0.98). Additionally, intrarater reliability was high for both raters using both methods (ICCs = 0.98-0.99). Both methods are reliable measures of ankle swelling. The authors recommend the figure of eight method because of its ease of use, time efficiency, and cost effectiveness. However, water volumetry may be more appropriate when measuring diffuse lower-extremity swelling. Reliability of these 2 methods was established using subjects with foot or ankle pathology. Therefore, the results are applicable and generalizable to the clinical setting.