Haruki Kogo

Reliability of a new practical evaluation method for pitting edema based on the depth of the surface imprint.

[Purpose] To develop and verify the reliability of a new practical evaluation method for pitting edema, which uses the depth of the surface imprint as an indicator. [Subjects] We included 26 inpatients (52 legs). [Methods] The subjects were diagnosed with edema, and we verified the inter- and intra-rater reliabilities of the edema gauge using intraclass correlation coefficients. [Results] For the first and second measurement values and the measured values between the examiners, the intraclass correlation coefficients were high. [Conclusion] Therefore, our findings suggest that the edema gauge, which measures the depth of the surface imprint, has sufficient intra- and inter-rater reliabilities.

Effect of a Dynamic Air Cushion on the Development of Leg Edema during Wheelchair Sitting

[Purpose] To clarify how a novel dynamic cushion affects the leg edema evoked by wheelchair sitting, we measured the changes in leg volume induced during wheelchair sitting with the dynamic air cushion or a static cushion. [Subjects and Methods] Nine healthy male subjects participated in this study. Leg edema during wheelchair sitting was evaluated with strain gauge plethysmography (the gauge was placed around the middle portion of the lower thigh). Following a period of rest, each subject was asked to sit on a wheelchair containing the dynamic cushion for 15 min. Then, the protocol was repeated with a static cushion. The angles of the knee and ankle joints were set to 90 degrees, and no footrests were used. [Results] The change in leg volume observed during sitting on the dynamic cushion (0.00 ± 0.03 mL/100 mL) was smaller than that observed during sitting on the static cushion (0.02 ± 0.02 mL/100 mL). [Conclusion] These results suggested that the dynamic cushion relieved leg edema during wheelchair sitting.

Relationship between the changes in blood flow and volume in the finger during a Braille character discrimination task

We hypothesized that skin blood flow (SBF) of fingers are modulated during concentrated finger perception and that the changes in SBF reflect fluctuations in finger volume (FV). The aim of this study, therefore, was examine the relationship between the changes in SBF and FV during Braille reading.

Validity of a New Quantitative Evaluation Method that Uses the Depth of the Surface Imprint as an Indicator for Pitting Edema

This study examined the validity of a practical evaluation method for pitting edema by comparing it to other methods, including circumference measurements and ultrasound image measurements. Fifty-one patients (102 legs) from a convalescent ward in Maruyama Hospital were recruited for study 1, and 47 patients (94 legs) from a convalescent ward in Morinaga Hospital were recruited for study 2. The relationship between the depth of the surface imprint and circumferential measurements, as well as the relationship between the depth of the surface imprint and the thickness of the subcutaneous soft tissue on an ultrasonogram, were analyzed using a Spearman correlation coefficient by rank. There was no significant relationship between the surface imprint depth and circumferential measurements. However, there was a significant relationship between the depth of the surface imprint and the thickness of the subcutaneous soft tissue as measured on an ultrasonogram (correlation coefficient 0.736). Our findings suggest that our novel evaluation method for pitting edema, based on a measurement of the surface imprint depth, is both valid and useful.

The distance between the tips of the middle fingers of both hands with arms diagonally stretched behind the back, and its relationships with the dominant hand and stiff shoulders in the elderly

[Purpose] In the present study, the distance between the tips of the middle fingers of both hands with arms diagonally stretched behind the back was measured, and its relationships with the dominant hand and stiff shoulders were examined. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were 44 healthy elderly people (25 males and 19 females) aged 60years or older, and they responded to a questionnaire regarding the dominant hand and stiff shoulders. The subjects were asked to stand up and diagonally stretch both arms behind their back as much as possible, and the distance between the tips of their middle fingers (MMD) was measured with a scale. There were elderly persons whose dominant hand was placed over or under the shoulder, and the MMD was compared between these two groups; the distance was also compared between stiff-shoulder and non-stiff-shoulder groups. [Results] Forty-one subjects were right-handed, and three were left-handed. Sixteen subjects complained of stiff shoulders. The MMD was significantly greater in the group whose dominant hand was placed under the shoulder, whereas no significant difference was noted between the stiff-shoulder and non-stiff-shoulder groups. [Conclusion] The ranges of extension and medial rotation of the shoulder joint on the dominant side were smaller. The movement of the shoulder joints was not significantly related to stiff shoulders.