Evaluation of a New Laser Beam Wound Camera

Evaluation of a new laser beam wound camera and a digital photoplanimetry based method for wound measurement in horses

Introduction
The goal of this study was to evaluate a new laser beam wound camera and a digital photoplanimetry based method for their accuracy, precision, inter- and intra-operator reliability in measuring the dimensions of equine wounds. Materials and methods A total of 41 wounds were created on equine cadavers, and the area, circumference, maximum depth and volume of each wound was measured four times with both techniques by two operators. A silicon cast was made of each wound and served as ‘golden standard’ to measure the wound dimensions. Results and conclusions The digital photoplanimetry based method had a higher accuracy (mean relative bias (RB) of -10.2% 33.0 vs. -44.1% 26.1 with p < 0.01) and precision (standard error of measurement (SEM) 10.63 vs 17.06) in determining the wound volume, whereas the laser beam camera had a higher accuracy in determining the wound area (mean RB – 8.6% 6.3 vs -12.4% 8.3 with p < 0.01) and maximum depth (mean RB -7.4% 39.5 vs 53.5% 52.9 with p < 0.01) and better precision in determining the area (SEM 6.4 vs 10.53) and circumference (SEM 1.83 vs 2.43). […]