Übersetzung und psychometrische Austestung des Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure (RC-QOL) für den Gebrauch im deutschen Sprachraum

The responsiveness and validity of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life (RC-QOL) Index in a 2-year follow-up study

Background

The Rotator Cuff Quality of Life (RC-QOL) index was developed to evaluate quality of life in patients with rotator cuff disease. This study provides additional psychometric testing in accordance with the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments guidelines.

Methods

This was a 2-year follow-up study on 66 patients (mean age, 59 ± 10 years) originally presenting with chronic full-thickness rotator cuff tears to a tertiary care center. The methodology involved testing internal consistency, content validity, and criterion validity. Responsiveness was evaluated using 3 strategies: 1) standardized response mean of the raw change scores; 2) Guyatt’s Responsiveness Index; and 3) Global Rating Scales of improvement correlated to a quality of life measure.

Results

Content validity was confirmed with a Cronbach α of 0.92 (95% confidence interval, 0.92-0.95) and absence of floor and ceiling effects. Criterion validity was confirmed using the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index as a reference standard (r = 0.87, P < .001). The effect size of distribution-based methods of determining responsiveness was large (0.99-1.09) compared to that of mixed- and anchor-based methods (0.47-0.89). All responsiveness calculations met minimum requirements for acceptable thresholds.

Conclusion

The RC-QOL is a valid and responsive measure of health-related quality of life in patients with chronic rotator cuff pathology. The results of this study added to the methodologic quality assessment of the RC-QOL, completing 7 of 10 Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments criteria.

How to Assess Shoulder Functionality: A Systematic Review of Existing Validated Outcome Measures

The objective of this review was to compile validated functional shoulder assessment tools and analyse the methodological quality of their validations. Secondarily, we aimed to provide a comparison of the tools, including parameter descriptions, indications/applications, languages and operating instructions, to choose the most suitable for future clinical and research approaches. A systematic review (PRISMA) was conducted using: PubMed, WoS Scopus, CINHAL, Dialnet and reference lists until 2020. The main criteria for inclusion were that papers were original studies of validated tools or validation studies. Pre-established tables showed tools, validations, items/components, etc. The QUADAS-2 and COSMIN-RB were used to assess the methodological quality of validations. Ultimately, 85 studies were selected, 32 tools and 111 validations. Risk of bias scored lower than applicability, and patient selection got the best scores (QUADAS-2). Internal consistency had the highest quality and PROMs development the lowest (COSMIN-RB). Responsiveness was the most analysed metric property. Modified UCLA and SST obtained the highest quality in shoulder instability surgery, and SPADI in pain. The most approached topic was activities of daily living (81%). We compiled 32 validated functional shoulder assessment tools, and conducted an analysis of the methodological quality of 111 validations associated with them. Modified UCLA and SST showed the highest methodological quality in instability surgery and SPADI in pain.

Adaptation and transcultural translation of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life questionnaire into Spanish

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was the transcultural adaptation of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life questionnaire and the determination of the reliability and validity of the questionnaire in the Spanish population with rotator cuff disease. One of the translators was a physiotherapist, and the other was an English philologist.

METHODS

The participants comprised 170 subjects with rotator cuff pathology. Test-retest reliability was established by the intraclass correlation coefficient. Internal consistency was established using the Cronbach α. Convergent validity was established by comparison with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, Spanish version of the Oxford Shoulder Score, and Spanish version of the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability index using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Estimation of the error in the measurements was calculated with the standard error of measurement. Assessment of reproducibility was performed with 30 minutes between the first and second administrations of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

The Cronbach α was 0.99, showing high internal consistency. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.9 (95% confidence interval, 0.99-0.99; P < .001), indicating high test-retest reliability. The Spearman correlation coefficient showed a good relationship in all cases: Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand, ρ = 0.9 (P < .001); Oxford Shoulder Score, ρ = 0.7 (P < .001); Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, ρ = 0.8 (P < .001); and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability index, ρ = 0.8 (P < .001). The standard error of measurement indicated little variability in the measurements (2.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

The Spanish version of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument for the subjective evaluation of patients with a diagnosis of rotator cuff pathology in the Spanish population.

Chinese version of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life questionnaire: Cross-cultural adaptation and validation in rotator cuff-impaired patients in Hong Kong

Purpose:

To adapt the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life (RC-QOL) questionnaire into traditional Chinese (Chi-RC-QOL) and to evaluate the validity and reliability in patients suffering from rotator cuff pathologies in Hong Kong.

Methods:

The Chi-RC-QOL will be constructed using the forward-translation followed by the backward-translation method. Thirty consecutive patients with clinically and radiologically confirmed rotator cuff pathology were recruited. Descriptive statistics will be followed by validity assessment using comparison with the Constant Shoulder (CS) score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Rating Scale, and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) score. Parametric data will be tested using Pearson’s correlation coefficient for the total scores. Reliability was assessed using a test–retest interval of 30 min. The Cronbach’s α and intraclass correlation coefficient were calculated.

Results:

Cronbach’s α and internal consistency scores were high for all parts of the Chi-RC-QOL, with Cronbach’s α ranging between 0.89 and 0.98. Internal consistency scores range from 0.82 to 0.92, which can be regarded as an excellent correlation. Test–retest reliability was excellent for all parts of the Chi-RC-QOL with good absolute reliability. Chi-RC-QOL correlates well with the CS score, UCLA Shoulder Rating Scale, and the WORC score, with all being statistically significant.

Conclusions:

The current study adapted the RC-QOL to traditional Chinese version. The analysis confirmed the validity and reliability of the Chi-RC-QOL questionnaire.

Level of Evidence:

III.

Reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Chinese version of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life Index (RC-QOL) in patients with rotator cuff disorders

Background

The Rotator Cuff Quality of Life Index (RC-QOL) is a scale designed to evaluate the impact of rotator cuff (RC) disorders on the general quality of life of patients. Our study aims to adapt the RC-QOL into Chinese and to assess its reliability, validity and responsiveness in Chinese patients with RC disorders.

Methods

First, we developed the Chinese version of RC-QOL (C-RC-QOL) through a five-step procedure. Next, the recruited patients gave three rounds of responses to the C-RC-QOL, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Oxford Shoulder Score scales (OSS). Then, we calculated the Cronbach’s alpha, standard error of measurement (SEM), minimally detectable change (MDC), intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), effect size (ES) and standardized response mean (SRM) to evaluate the reliability, validity and responsiveness of the C-RC-QOL respectively. The unidimensionality of each subscale was assessed by principal component analysis (PCA) of the residuals.

Results

Overall, 124 patients with RC disorders successfully completed the first two rounds of the scales, and 108 patients completed the last round of the scales. Good or excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.953) was found in the overall scale and subscales of the C-RC-QOL, and good or excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.854) was found as well. The SEM and MDC values of the C-RC-QOL were 4.6 and 12.8 respectively. Moderate, good or excellent correlations (r = 0.452–0.839) were obtained between the physical subscales of the C-RC-QOL and the OSS, as well as the physical subscales of the SF-36; similar results were obtained between the emotion subscale of the C-RC-QOL and the mental subscales of the SF-36 (r = 0.490–0.733), which, illustrated the good validity of the C-RC-QOL. In addition, high responsiveness was observed in the overall scale and subscales of the C-RC-QOL (ES = 1.77, SRM = 1.98). The unidimensionality of five subscales was respected according to PCA of the residuals.

Conclusions

The C-RC-QOL scale is reliable, valid and responsive for the evaluation of Chinese-speaking patients with RC disorders and it would be an effective instrument.

Further validation and reliability testing of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life Index (RC-QOL) according to the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines

BACKGROUND

The Rotator Cuff Quality of Life Index (RC-QOL) was developed to evaluate quality of life in patients with rotator cuff disorders (RCD). The purpose of this study was to provide additional reliability, validity, and responsiveness testing in accordance with the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines.

METHODS

Preliminary patient interviews included 15 patients. Seventy patients (mean age, 58; standard deviation, 9 years) with RCD were evaluated. Methodology testing included internal consistency, test-retest reliability, measurement error, content validity, and construct validity. Responsiveness, interpretability, and generalizability were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The Cronbach α was 0.96 (95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.99; range, 0.72-0.94). The intraclass correlation coefficient for the RC-QOL was 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.85; range, 0.77-0.88). The standard error of measurement was 8 (range, 7-13). The smallest detectable change was 3 (range, 2-4). Content validity was confirmed through standardized patient interviews. All a priori hypotheses were confirmed. No floor or ceiling effects were present. The minimally clinical important difference ranged between 7 and 14 points. The study met the COSMIN criteria for interpretability and generalizability.

CONCLUSION

The RC-QOL is a reliable and valid measure of health-related quality of life in patients with chronic RCD. The results of this study added to the methodologic quality assessment of the RC-QOL, completing 7 of 10 COSMIN criteria.

Rotator cuff-quality of life scale: adaptation to Turkish

PURPOSE

The adaptation of scales to the native language and cultural setting of the patient is essential for obtaining more reliable results in scientific studies. In this study, the rotator cuff-quality of life scale (RC-QoLS) was translated into Turkish, and validity and reliability testing was performed on the scale.

METHODS

The scale was first translated into Turkish and then from Turkish to English by another language specialist. Subsequently, the two translations were evaluated by two orthopaedic surgeons who had comprehensive knowledge of English to create the final Turkish version of RC-QoLS. The scale was used for the assessment of 54 patients (average age 56 years) with rotator cuff tear scheduled for surgery. The scale was completed by each patient two times with 1-week interval.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged between 0.895 and 0.980 and intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.807 and 0.976, this rendered all domains reliable. The scale gave results very near to those obtained by the original questionnaire with respect to the constructed validity and internal consistency as well as domain relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, the Turkish version of the RC-QoLS is a valid and reliable test with high differentiating power that may be used in the evaluation the quality of life of patients with RC tear in patients who are native Turkish speaker. The use of the Turkish version of RC-QoLS may contribute to the making of a more reliable evaluation in the studies on RC problems in the Turkish society.

Turkish version of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life questionnaire in rotator cuff-impaired patients

PURPOSE

To date, the "Rotator Cuff Quality of Life" (RC-QOL) measure has not been translated into Turkish. The aim of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire and determine the reliability and reproducibility of the "Turkish version of the RC-QOL" (Tur-RC-QOL) questionnaire on Turkish-speaking patients.

METHODS

The translation followed an established forward-and-backward translation procedure. Thirty Turkish-speaking, rotator cuff-impaired patients were enrolled in the study. The validity of the Tur-RC-QOL was assessed and compared with the "Shoulder Pain and Disability Index" (SPADI) and the "Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index" (WORC) using Pearson's correlation coefficients. A test-retest interval of 2 days was used to assess the reliability. Internal consistency was tested by Cronbach's alpha, relative reliability with "intraclass correlation coefficient" (ICC), and absolute reliability using the formula for the "standard error of measurement" (SEM).

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha scores were high for the total scores and subheadings of the Tur-RC-QOL, in the range of 0.83-0.98. Excellent test-retest reliability scores were found for the total score and for all parts of the Tur-RC-QOL, with the exception of "Part E". The ICC score for Part E was relatively lower than other parts (ICC = 0.71), and the SEM score was relatively higher (17.92 %). The Pearson correlation coefficients for the Tur-RC-QOL were high for SPADI (r = 0.90, p < 0.001) and WORC (r = 0.85, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the Tur-RC-QOL is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the quality of life of rotator cuff-impaired patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Instruments to assess patients with rotator cuff pathology: a systematic review of measurement properties

PURPOSE

The aims of this study were to obtain an overview of the methodological quality of studies on the measurement properties of rotator cuff questionnaires and to describe how well various aspects of the design and statistical analyses of studies on measurement properties are performed.

METHODS

A systematic review of published studies on the measurement properties of rotator cuff questionnaires was performed. Two investigators independently rated the quality of the studies using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments checklist. This checklist was developed in an international Delphi consensus study.

RESULTS

Sixteen studies were included, in which two measurement instruments were evaluated, namely the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index and the Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure. The methodological quality of the included studies was adequate on some properties (construct validity, reliability, responsiveness, internal consistency, and translation) but need to be improved on other aspects. The most important methodological aspects that need to be developed are as follows: measurement error, content validity, structural validity, cross-cultural validity, criterion validity, and interpretability.

CONCLUSION

Considering the importance of adequate measurement properties, it is concluded that, in the field of rotator cuff pathology, there is room for improvement in the methodological quality of studies measurement properties.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.

RC-QOL score for rotator cuff pathology: adaptation to Italian

We translated and adapted the English RC-QOL (rotator cuff quality of life) questionnaire into Italian and performed reliability and validity evaluations of the Italian RC-QOL version in patients with rotator cuff tears. The RC-QOL English version was translated into Italian by a bilingual orthopaedic surgeon. The back translation of the Italian version into English was performed by another bilingual orthopaedic surgeon. The original version was compared with the back translation. The RC-QOL questionnaire was then administered to 22 subjects (range 45-74 years) with a diagnosis of rotator cuff tears. For test-retest evaluation, the 22 patients were asked to complete the questionnaire at first examination, and 30 min following the end of this examination. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the 22 patients was 0.94 (95% CI = 0.85-0.98), indicating a high reliability. There were no significant differences between the scores immediately after the consultation and 30 min later. The Italian and the English versions of the RC-QOL questionnaire evaluate the same aspects of clinical severity in patients with rotator cuff tears.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the German version of the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability index

BACKGROUND

The Western Ontario shoulder instability index (WOSI) is a disease-specific quality of life measurement tool with 21 items for patients with shoulder instability. Here, we report on translation and validation of the German version of the WOSI according to international guidelines.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 86 patients in three groups were included in this study. In group I, 24 patients underwent surgical stabilization of the shoulder. Preoperatively and at 12 months post-operatively the WOSI, Rowe score, UCLA, Constant score, and the SF-36 were evaluated. In group II, 25 patients were evaluated 2.6 +/- 1.2 years after sustaining a primary traumatic shoulder dislocation. Group III consisted of 37 healthy men and women with normal, healthy shoulders. Evaluation of Pearson's correlation coefficient between WOSI and Rowe score, UCLA, SF-36 and Constant score and for test-retest reliability was made. Moreover, Cronbach's alpha and floor, and ceiling effects were analyzed.

RESULTS

Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.92).Test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient) was excellent (r = 0.92). The construct validity showed a significant correlation between the WOSI and the scores investigated. There were no floor or ceiling effects for the German WOSI score.

CONCLUSION

The German translation of the WOSI is a valid and reliable tool, applicable to outcome studies on patients with shoulder instability.

A randomized clinical trial comparing open to arthroscopic acromioplasty with mini-open rotator cuff repair for full-thickness rotator cuff tears: disease-specific quality of life outcome at an average 2-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Rotator cuff tears affect patients' quality of life. The evolution toward less invasive operative techniques for rotator cuff repair requires appropriate comparisons with the standard open procedure, using validated outcomes in a randomized fashion.

HYPOTHESIS

There is no difference in disease-specific quality of life outcomes at 2 years between an open surgical repair (open) versus an arthroscopic acromioplasty with mini-open (scope mini-open) repair for patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

METHODS

Patients with unremitting pain, failed nonoperative treatment, and imaging indicating full-thickness rotator cuff tears were included in the study. Massive irreparable cuff tears were excluded. Patients were assessed using the disease-specific Rotator Cuff-Quality of Life index, which produces a maximum score of 100, representing a high quality of life. Secondary shoulder-specific outcomes (American Shoulder and Elbow Society, Shoulder Rating Questionnaire, and Functional Shoulder Elevation Test) were also measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months, and 1 and 2 years.

RESULTS

The mean Rotator Cuff-Quality of Life scores at an average follow-up of 28 months were not statistically different: open, 86.9 (95% confidence interval: 81.8-92.0); and scope mini-open, 87.2 (95% confidence interval: 80.6-93.8). At 3 months, the patients who underwent scope mini-open showed statistically significantly better outcomes (55.6 vs 71.3; P = .005). The baseline to 3-month difference in Rotator Cuff-Quality of Life scores between the scope mini-open and open groups was also statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Patient outcomes improved from baseline to all postoperative measurement intervals. There was no difference in outcome at 1 and 2 years after surgery between the scope mini-open and open procedures. The quality of life of patients undergoing the arthroscopic acromioplasty with mini-open rotator cuff repair improved statistically significantly and clinically at 3 months compared with the open group.