Objective: To develop a method to measure wound surface area.
Design: Validity study.
Setting: Inpatient service.
Participants: Four patients with decubitus ulcers.
Measurements: A new imaging process estimating wound surface area and volume by NMR spectroscopy of a mold of the pressure ulcer and a comparison measurement of volume of the mold by water displacement. Measurements made serially totalled 17.
Results: Measurement of the volume of the mold by the computer system correlated strongly with measurement of the volume by water displacement. Surface area of the pressure sore mold correlated strongly with volume of the mold raised to the two-thirds power.
Conclusions: It is possible for the first time to measure surface area of decubitus ulcers. This may provide a way of determining accurately the dose of newly proposed topical treatments.