TY - JOUR
T1 - Objective measurement of scarring by multiple assessors: is the tissue tonometer a reliable option?
AU - Corica, G.F.
AU - Wigger, N.C.
AU - Edgar, D.W.
AU - Wood, Fiona
AU - Carroll, S.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - Depending on the patient population, the incidence of scarring is as great as 75% after burns. Skin pliability and functional recovery are affected negatively by hypertrophic scarring. Therapists use various treatment strategies to improve scar outcomes. However, a simple, objective, clinically useful method of measuring scar response to treatment eludes us. This study examines the inter-rater reliability and validity of scar pliability measures using the modified tissue tonometer (MTT). Twenty-four patients were tested by two blinded, randomly allocated raters. The MTT was used to assess scar pliability with a standardized, repeated-measures design. One normal and up to three scar points were assessed for each subject. One subject was excluded from the data analyses. Concerning inter-rater reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient for averaged measures between measurers was 0.957, and the standard error of measurement was 0.025 mm. For validity, a significant difference (P = .0000) between scar (2.64 +/- 0.5 min) and normal tissue (3.23 +/- 0.46 min) measurements was demonstrated. Scar pliability scores between raters are extremely reliable and reproducible using the MTT. It can differentiate between injured and uninjured tissue. Hence, it provides clinicians with a reliable, transportable, and objective tool to document scar outcomes. The MTT provides a standardized method to longitudinally measure scar tissue pliability after burn injury.
AB - Depending on the patient population, the incidence of scarring is as great as 75% after burns. Skin pliability and functional recovery are affected negatively by hypertrophic scarring. Therapists use various treatment strategies to improve scar outcomes. However, a simple, objective, clinically useful method of measuring scar response to treatment eludes us. This study examines the inter-rater reliability and validity of scar pliability measures using the modified tissue tonometer (MTT). Twenty-four patients were tested by two blinded, randomly allocated raters. The MTT was used to assess scar pliability with a standardized, repeated-measures design. One normal and up to three scar points were assessed for each subject. One subject was excluded from the data analyses. Concerning inter-rater reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient for averaged measures between measurers was 0.957, and the standard error of measurement was 0.025 mm. For validity, a significant difference (P = .0000) between scar (2.64 +/- 0.5 min) and normal tissue (3.23 +/- 0.46 min) measurements was demonstrated. Scar pliability scores between raters are extremely reliable and reproducible using the MTT. It can differentiate between injured and uninjured tissue. Hence, it provides clinicians with a reliable, transportable, and objective tool to document scar outcomes. The MTT provides a standardized method to longitudinally measure scar tissue pliability after burn injury.
U2 - 10.1097/01.BCR.0000225963.41796.54
DO - 10.1097/01.BCR.0000225963.41796.54
M3 - Article
C2 - 16819358
VL - 27
SP - 520
EP - 523
JO - Journal of Burn Care & Research
JF - Journal of Burn Care & Research
SN - 1559-047X
IS - 4
ER -