Limb volume measurements in peripheral arterial disease

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Abstract
A simple method for measuring limb volumes of patients with peripheral arterial disease undergoing limb blood flow measurement is described. The devices uses the change in surface level of water in a cylindrical reservoir to generate a voltage which is amplified and converter to a volume. The plethysmograph is stable and accurate over a wide range of limb volumes. For patients with leg ulcers or gangrene, where water immersion is not possible, a geometrical model has been developed which allows the volume to be calculated from a series of six external measurements. Comparison with measured volumes in 46 patients has shown this model to be accurate with a mean error of 3.3%. It provides a convenient alternative to direct measurement in these patients.