Translation and validation of the Simplified Chinese version of Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder Index (WOOS)

To produce a cross-cultural adaptation and translation of the English version of the Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder index (WOOS) into Simplified Chinese and to validate its reliability, validity, and responsiveness. A total of 52 consecutive patients were included. The inclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosed to have primary shoulder osteoarthritis (OA) and referred to undergo conservative treatment, able to speak Chinese, and able to read Simplified Chinese. WOOS, the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), and Short Form 36 (SF-36) were filled at the first visit, and WOOS alone was filled at the second visit with an interval of 3 to 7 days after the first visit. Four months after appropriate treatments, the WOOS was again sent to patients by e-mail for the evaluation of responsiveness. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.90 to 0.98, which showed good test–retest reliability. As we had hypothesized, construct validity was high according to a significant correlation among WOOS, SF-36 (3 subscales, namely physical functioning, bodily pain, and role—physical), and OSS. High responsiveness was documented by the evaluation of standard response mean (from 1.09 to 1.33) and effect size (from 0.80 to 0.97). The Simplified Chinese version of WOOS (SC-WOOS) was shown to be a reliable, valid instrument for evaluating the quality of life of patients suffering from shoulder OA in China.