Simple Indigenous Two-Point Discrimination Testing Device

Background: Measurement of two-point discrimination (2-PD) is used in clinical practice to evaluate the severity of nerve injuries, neuropathy, and recovery of patients following nerve repair. Commercially available 2-PD testing devices are costly and therefore not available everywhere. Methods and Material: We made an economical indigenous 2-PD testing device from off-the-shelf components and tested its efficacy in volunteers. Statistical Analysis: The data were analyzed using Minitab Statistical Software Version 17.0 and Kappa statistics were used in the assessment of agreement between two devices. Results: A total of 30 (23 men, 7 women) subjects were included in the study. There was good agreement between the measurements of static 2-PD with the two different test devices: from fair (Kappa = 0.408, P = 0.018) to strong (Kappa = 0.618-0.795, P = 0.000). Conclusions: This device is simple to make, very economical, and obtains accurate 2-PD measurements.