Clinimetric properties of clinical objective measurement methods for screening, diagnosis, and/or evaluation of lower limb lymphoedema: a systematic review with narrative synthesis of results
Creators: name: De Vrieze, Tessa
name: Devoogdt, Nele
name: Gursen, Ceren
name: Heroes, An-Kathleen
name: Van Calster, Charlotte
name: Gebruers, Nick
name: Moonen, Sarah
name: Hendrickx, Ad
name: Hidding, Janine
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer

description: To offer a summary of the clinimetrics of measurement methods used for screening, diagnosis, and evaluation of lower limb lymphoedema (LLL). <i>Data sources:</i> According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Searches were performed on 1 December 2022 and reconducted on 18 July 2024. <i>Study selection:</i> Studies in patients with (or at risk for) LLL, whether or not compared to healthy controls. <i>Data extraction:</i> Quantitative data on clinimetric properties. Twenty-three papers were included and divided in papers reporting on clinimetrics of methods assessing swelling, skin properties, local tissue water, and intra- and extracellular fluid. Water displacement, opto-electronic volumetry, and circumference measures seem to be reliable measurement methods to be applied in clinical practice. Circumference measures (with 8 cm interval) is a time-efficient method with few practical limitations. Based on the little literature available in patients with LLL, we recommend to select different methods assessing more than one lymphedoema characteristic to get a clear overview on the patient’s lymphoedema status. At this moment, literature is still unclear on the use of specific measurement methods in LLL. More research regarding validity, responsiveness, and feasibility is needed. Lower limb lymphoedema (LLL) is a chronic condition for which an accurate diagnosis made with clinically available reliable, valid, and responsive measurement methods is needed.To date (and compared to upper limb lymphoedema), literature regarding clinimetric properties of measurement methods for LLL is scarce.To assess swelling of the lower limb, water displacement, opto-electronic volumetry, and circumference measures seem to be reliable measurement methods to be applied in clinical practice.Based on the limited literature, we recommend to select different measurement methods assessing more than one lymphoedema characteristic in order to get a clear overview on the patient’s lymphoedema status and to evaluate treatment effects. Lower limb lymphoedema (LLL) is a chronic condition for which an accurate diagnosis made with clinically available reliable, valid, and responsive measurement methods is needed. To date (and compared to upper limb lymphoedema), literature regarding clinimetric properties of measurement methods for LLL is scarce. To assess swelling of the lower limb, water displacement, opto-electronic volumetry, and circumference measures seem to be reliable measurement methods to be applied in clinical practice. Based on the limited literature, we recommend to select different measurement methods assessing more than one lymphoedema characteristic in order to get a clear overview on the patient’s lymphoedema status and to evaluate treatment effects.