Basic study for the development of self-care program for a patient with lymphedema using 3-dimensional digitizing system

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17482
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58060:Clinical nursing-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Nakanishi Keisuke 名古屋大学, 医学系研究科(保健), 助教 (10464091)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 上肢リンパ浮腫 / ３Dスキャナー / 症状自覚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the skill for edema symptom awareness by a patient with upper limb lymphedema. First, the reproducibility of 3D scanning method was examined using the upper limbs of the human body model, and then the reliability of the 3D data analysis method of the upper limbs was examined. Then, in patients with unilateral upper limb lymphedema, we conducted a preliminary study which examined the agreement between the patients’ awareness of edema symptoms in the forearm of the affected limb and changes in the three-dimensional shape of the affected limb before and after the Multilayer Bandaging. As a result, it was suggested that the patient was more conscious of symptom change in the frontal forearm of the affected limb, the closer to the cubital fossa.

Free Research Field

看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

上肢リンパ浮腫の前腕前面では肘窩に近い部位ほど患者は症状変化に自覚的である可能性が示唆された。多くの上肢リンパ浮腫症例において，一生涯にわたって何らかの浮腫ケアを続けていく特徴を踏まえると，この知見はケア継続にむけて患者をエンカレッジするための重点的な介入ポイントとして、ケアプログラムを構成する基礎的知見となることが期待される。今後、被検者を増やすことに加えて、本研究で弾性包帯法実施後に凹状の変化を示した部位の内部構造の解析が必要である。なお、本研究では前腕前面に解析範囲を限定したが、患者自身によるセルフアセスメントの妥当性を検討するためには、実験系のさらなる検討の必要性が示唆された。