Reliability of the skin compliance device in the assessment of scar pliability.

摘要

The purpose of the study was to determine the intrarater and interrater reliability of the Skin Compliance Device, a tool to measure scar pliability. Three points on 25 scars and the corresponding areas on the uninvolved upper extremities were tested by two evaluators. Testing locations were standardized using a wound-tracing device. Intrarater reliability was excellent for both raters for all points tested on both extremities (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]>0.88). On the involved side, good inter-rater reliability was found for the most adherent point (ICC=0.79) and the most distal point (ICC=0.77). Fair interrater reliability was found for the most proximal point on the involved side (ICC=0.29) and fair-to-moderate reliability for all points on the unscarred extremity. The Skin Compliance Device demonstrates excellent intrarater reliability and good interrater reliability for measuring the most adherent aspect of scars.