Validity of the Leg-O-Meter, an Instrument to Measure Leg Circumference

The objective of this study was to validate the Leg-O-Meter measure against the clinical assessment of edema made by physicians using data from a 1-year follow-up study of unse-lected patients with chronic venous disease of the leg (CVDL). The Leg-O-Meter consists of a tape measure fixed to a stand attached to a small board on which the patient is in standing position. Its reliability has been shown to be above 97%. Data from the Venous Insufficiency Epidemiologic and Economic Study (VEINES) were used: 1,521 patients from France, Belgium, Italy, and Quebec (Canada) who spontaneously consulted a physician between 1994 and 1995 with a complaint resulting from venous problems of the legs were included. Baseline variables included leg circumference measurements using the Leg-O-Meter; physicians were also asked to diagnose edema and report it as present or absent on each leg. Clinical edema and leg circumferences were assessed again 3 to 6 months after the baseline visit and 12 months after baseline. The tape measure of the Leg-O-Meter was fixed at 13 cm from the floor. The first and last assessments were used to evaluate the variation in edema during the follow-up period. Clinical variation in edema status was assessed as follows: improved, if edema was diagnosed at baseline but not at the final visit; unchanged, if edema was diagnosed at bot