ABSTRACT
Introduction 139 The Measuring System 139 Accuracy and Reproducibility of the Measurements 141 Medical Applications 141
Scleroderma 141 Lipodermatosclerosis 142 Neuropathic Foot 143
Conclusions 144 References 145
INTRODUCTION The mechanical properties of the human skin are complex; although the skin is readily accesible, it is always a difficult task to identify simple and noninvasive measurement methods suitable for a specific skin parameter. This chapter describes a novel and simple instrument called a durometer, which is now used to assess and quantify the degree of skin hardness. The durometer is an engineering instrument widely employed in industry to measure the hardness of metals, plastic, rubber, and other nonmetallic materials. The instrument has been applied in the last few years in several medical conditions where skin hardness is a clinical feature of the disease and where there is a need for quantification of hardness for prognostic and therapeutic reasons.
