BURNS

DEGREE OF BURNS
RULE OF
9
What is the rule of nines?
The rule of nines is meant to be used for:
•second-degree burns, also known as partial-thickness
burns
•third-degree burns, known as full-thickness burns
 Body part Percentage
Arm (including the hand) 9 percent each
Anterior trunk (front of the body) 18 percent
Genitalia 1 percent
Head and neck 9 percent
Legs (including the feet) 18 percent each
Posterior trunk (back of the body) 18 percent

If a person’s injured due to a burn, a doctor may assess them quickly. For example, if they were burned on
each hand and arm as well as the front trunk portion of the body, using the rule of nines, they’d estimate
the burned area as 36 percent of a person’s body.
Rule of nines in children
 Doctors don’t typically use the same calculations in the rule of nines to
children.
 This is because children tend to have different body proportions than
adults do, including larger heads and smaller legs.
 For example, children tend to proportionally have a 20 percent larger
head than adults, according to the National Institutes of Health. Infants
also have 13 percent smaller legs than adults.
 Body part Percent
Arm (including the hand) 9 percent each
Anterior trunk (front of the body) 18 percent
Head and neck 18 percent
Legs (including the feet) 14 percent each
Posterior trunk (back of the body) 18 percent