Table 2 Overview of defining parameters of compared methods and their recommended usage
Water Displ. | Frustum Sign | Disc Model | Partial Frustum | MRI | CT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Accuracya | 0.3 % | 2–8 %b | 1–8 %b | 1–8 %b,c | Finger 8 % Hand 2 % | Finger 2 % Hand 0.5 % |
Repeatabilityd | Finger 2 % Forearm 0.9 % | 2–6 %b | Finger 3–4 % Forearm 1–2 %b | Finger 3–4 % Forearm 1–2 %b | 5 % | 2 % |
Measure time | Finger 3 min Other 15 min | 1 min. | Finger 8 min Forearm 14 min | Finger 8 min Forearm 14 min | Hand 19 min | Hand 7 min |
Processing time | Less than 1 min | Less than 1 mine | 1 mine | 1 mine | 12 min | 7 min |
Measurement costf | Less than 1 EUR | Less than 1 EUR | Less than 1 EUR | Less than 1 EUR | 250–300 EUR | 100 EUR |
Operator dependencyg | None | High | High | High | Low | Low |
Special region measurementsh | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Limitations | Shivering body, flexibility of limb, infection | Almost none | Claustrophobia, no metal (piercing, pacemaker,…) | High radiation dose, artefacts on metal parts | ||
Recommended use | Best for accurate measurements of flexible and non-infected limbs. Good for standard use | When very fast, but not accurate (only estimation) of volume is required. Use the same staff to avoid operator dependency | No reason to use this method, same usage as Partial Frustumc | Use this, when better accuracy is required, but patient does not meet the limitations of Water Disp. Use the same staff | Use this in case of specific measurement region, where high accuracy is not necessary or in case of repeated measurements | Use this, when accurate measurement of specific region is required and the measurement is single shot only |