Comparison of changes in thigh circumference during the menstrual cycle between female transfemoral amputees and non-amputee females: examination of the reliability and comparison of diurnal and day-to-day fluctuations.
Miki Sato, Junji Katsuhira, Masaru Kanda and 1 others
PMID 37020830WHAT IT FOUND
Self-measured thigh circumference was repeatable in two female transfemoral amputees, but with only two amputees, menstrual-cycle and time-of-day patterns cannot yet guide prosthetic fitting decisions.
Key findings
01For amputee A, duplicate morning and evening thigh circumference ICC values were 0.65 and 0.83; for amputee B, they were 0.64 and 0.86.
02In non-amputees, thigh circumference showed main effects for diurnal variation (p<0.002) and day-to-day variation, and mean values were larger in the evening than in the morning.
03The two amputees showed similar day-to-day patterns: little fluctuation during days 1-16, an increase around day 17, a decrease at day 19, and variable values on days 21-28.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only two female transfemoral amputees were included, so the findings cannot represent most female amputees. Participants measured their own thigh circumference, and non-amputees had wide duplicate measurements, so measurement error may have affected the results. The study did not compare the circumference device with a standard method, so its validity is not established. The menstrual cycle was standardized to 28 days and values were normalized by body weight, so the reported patterns may not match individual clinical records. The study did not test whether changing measurement or socket-mold timing improves prosthetic fit or comfort.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these results to time socket molds for all female amputees. The pattern came from only two amputees, and the study did not test whether changing mold timing improves socket fit.