Measurement of wound area for early analysis of the scar predictive factor

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the use of the 2D-FlexRuler as a facilitating tool for the early calculation of the predictive scar factor of chronic wounds. METHOD: a descriptive study with a quantitative, experimental, longitudinal and prospective approach. The sample consisted of 22 outpatients. 32 chronic wounds were analyzed. The wound edges were identified and drawn on the 2D-FlexRuler. The calculations of the areas of chronic wounds were obtained by manual, traditional methods, by software and Matlab algorithm. These areas were compared with each other to determine the efficiency of the proposed ruler in relation to traditional methods. RESULTS: the calculation of the wound area by the traditional method and Kundin’s coefficient show average errors greater than 40%. The manual estimation of the area with the 2D-FlexRuler is more accurate in relation to traditional measurement methods, which were considered quantitatively disqualified. When compared with the reference method, for example, the Klonk software, the data obtained by 2D-FlexRuler resulted in an error of less than 1.0%. CONCLUSION: the 2D-FlexRuler is a reliable metric platform for obtaining the anatomical limits of chronic wounds. It facilitated the calculation of the wound area under monitoring and allowed to obtain the scar predictive factor of chronic wounds with precocity in two weeks.