Edema can occur as both a cause and a symptom of various diseases and manifests in multiple forms. Each type has distinct characteristics, and some lack established methods for quantitative evaluation. Previous studies have reported inconsistencies in the results of pressure mark assessments between experienced and inexperienced practitioners. In this study, we investigated the validity of evaluating edema based on its mechanical properties using a custom-developed edema measurement device that applies a constant force. Specifically, we focused on skin viscoelasticity to estimate mechanical parameters. The viscosity and elasticity coefficients were obtained from the creep response during loading and the recovery response after unloading, respectively. Our findings indicate that both coefficients tend to decrease with increasing edema severity. These results suggest that this method may be useful for estimating edema severity. Future studies will examine its applicability to non-pitting edema and include trials on human subjects.
Miyamoto et al. (Wed,) studied this question.