Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Greek Versions of the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale and Tegner Activity Scale

Purpose The Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (LKSS) and the Tegner Activity Scale (TAS) are widely used instruments for assessing knee function and activity level in various knee pathologies, especially knee ligament injuries. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Greek versions of the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (Gr-LKSS) and Tegner Activity Scale (Gr-TAS) and assess their reliability and validity in Greek patients suffering from various knee problems. Materials and methods Translation of the LKSS and TAS questionnaires was done according to established international guidelines. Fifty-five patients (32 males and 23 females; mean age: 24 ±7 years; range: 17-54 years) with various knee pathologies completed the Gr-LKSS and Gr-TAS along with the Greek versions of International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Evaluation Form, the Knee Outcome Survey Activities of Daily Living Scale (KOS-ADLS) and the Oxford Knee Score (OKS). Test-retest reliability was evaluated with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in 53 (96%) individuals, who completed the questionnaires again after 48-72 hours while abstaining from all forms of treatment. Internal consistency for the Gr-LKSS was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and criterion-related validity was evaluated with the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) in relation to control questionnaires (IKDC, KOS-ADLS, OKS). The distribution of floor and ceiling effects were also determined. Results There were no problems during the forward-backward translation and cultural adaptation of the Gr-LKSS and Gr-TAS. Criterion-related validity was confirmed with moderate to high associations of Gr-LKSS and Gr-TAS (after injury) with the IKDC and KOS-ADLS (Pearson’s r ranging between 0.61-0.71 and 0.64-0.73, respectively). However, weak correlations were yielded between both questionnaires with the OKS (r=0.14-0.19). The internal consistency for Gr-LKSS was high (Cronbach's alpha: 0.779) and the test-retest reliability was high for both questionnaires (Gr-LKSS: ICC=0.950; Gr-TAS before and after injury: ICCs of 0.877 and 0.876, respectively). Conclusion The cultural adaptation and validity of Gr-LKSS and Gr-TAS were successfully accomplished. These questionnaires are recommended for use in the evaluation of soft tissue knee disorders in both clinical practice and research.