ABSTRACT
Background: The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire is a validated instrument for assessing symptoms of Achilles tendinopathy (AT). However, there is a need to validate the Arabic version of the VISA-A (VISA-A-AR) in Arabic-speaking patients with AT. Purpose: To validate the VISA-A-AR in Arabic patients with AT and evaluate its reliability and validity. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The translation and cultural adaptation of the VISA-A questionnaire into Arabic followed international guidelines. A total of 81 participants were recruited, including 45 patients diagnosed with AT and 36 healthy individuals. The AT group comprised male and female native Arabic speakers aged ≥18 years who were diagnosed with and had symptoms of AT. The inclusion criteria for the healthy group were the same, except that they must not have had AT at the time of the study or previously. The exclusion criteria were individuals with a partial or complete Achilles tendon rupture or prior Achilles tendon surgery. The internal consistency of the VISA-A-AR was assessed using the Cronbach α coefficient. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC[3,1]). Construct validity was assessed through correlation analysis between VISA-A-AR scores and the Arabic versions of the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36-AR) and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (ANPRS). Differences in VISA-A-AR scores between patients with AT and healthy controls were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: The VISA-A-AR demonstrated a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.935) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC[3,1] = 0.985). Significant positive correlations were observed between VISA-A-AR scores and SF-36-AR (r(43) = 0.838, P < .001), indicating good construct validity. In addition, VISA-A-AR scores showed a significant negative correlation with ANPRS (rS(43) = -0.835, P < .001). Furthermore, VISA-A-AR scores exhibited a significant difference between patients with AT (mean, 45.82 ± 16.65) and healthy controls (mean, 99.94 ± 0.33) (P < .001). Conclusion: The findings of this study validate the VISA-A-AR as a reliable and valid tool for assessing symptoms of AT in Arabic-speaking patients.
ABSTRACT
Background: The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment questionnaire for patellar tendinopathy (VISA-P) is currently not available in the Arabic language. Purpose: To translate and culturally adapt the VISA-P questionnaire into Arabic and to evaluate its reliability and validity. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Translation of the VISA-P questionnaire was implemented in compliance with international guidelines. In total, 111 participants (53 with patellar tendinopathy and 58 healthy controls) were recruited to validate the Arabic-language version of the VISA-P (VISA-P-Ar). The patients with patellar tendinopathy completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and rated their knee pain using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS). They completed the VISA-P-Ar twice (within a week) to assess test-retest reliability. Scores between the patients and controls were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test, construct validity was assessed with Spearman rank-order correlation, internal consistency was assessed with the Cronbach alpha, and test-retest reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: There was a significant difference in VISA-P-Ar scores between the patellar tendinopathy group (mean, 41.35 ± 13.56) and the control group (mean, 95.22 ± 8.22) (P < .001). In addition, scores on the VISA-P-Ar were significantly positively correlated with the SF-36 (r = 0.630; P < .001) and significantly negatively correlated with the NPRS (r = -0.681; P < .001). The items in the VISA-P-Ar had good internal consistency (α = 0.709) and showed high test-retest reliability (ICC, 0.941; P < .001). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the VISA-P-Ar is a valid and reliable tool for assessing symptoms of patellar tendinopathy in the Saudi population and can be used in clinical and research settings.
