Reliability of the Skin Compliance Device in the Assessment of Scar Pliability

The purpose of the study was to determine the intrarater and interrater reliability of the Skin Compliance Device, a tool to measure scar pliability. Three points on 25 scars and the corresponding areas on the uninvolved upper extremities were tested by two evaluators. Testing locations were standardized using a wound-tracing device. Intrarater reliability was excellent for both raters for all points tested on both extremities (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] > 0.88). On the involved side, good inter-rater reliability was found for the most adherent point (ICC = 0.79) and the most distal point (ICC = 0.77). Fair interrater reliability was found for the most proximal point on the involved side (ICC = 0.29) and fair-to-moderate reliability for all points on the unscarred extremity. The Skin Compliance Device demonstrates excellent intrarater reliability and good interrater reliability for measuring the most adherent aspect of scars.