Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the VISA-P and VISA-A questionnaires for French-speaking patients

Objectives. -Patellar and calcaneal tendinopathies remain very common musculoskeletal disorders in athletes. The Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment Patellar and Achilles (VISA-P and VISA-A), English questionnaires developed respectively to assess the severity of patellar and calcaneal tendinopathies. The purpose of our study was to validate a French version of these questionnaires. Materials and methods. -The French translation and intercultural adaptation of the VISA-P and the VISA-A are made according to international recommendations. For these adaptations, 92 (VISA-P) and 116 (VISA-A) subjects were recruited and divided into 3 groups (pathological, asymptotic and sporting risk), in order to test these psychometric properties. All these subjects also had to answer to the MOS SF-36 for the validity of construct. Results. -The mean VISA-PF scores were 99 for the healthy people, 53 for patients with patellar tendinopathy and 86 for the athletes. The VISA-PF shows excellent reliability with an inter-class correlation coefficient of 0.99. The internal consistency was 0.9 (Cronbach's alpha). The VISAPF shows low correlations with the divergent sub-scales of the SF-36 and moderate correlations with the convergent sub-scales of the SF-36. The mean VISA-AF scores were 99 in the healthy group, 59 in the pathological group, and 94 in the group of athletes. The VISA-AF shows excellent reliability with an inter-class correlation coefficient of 0.99. The internal consistency was 0.92 (Cronbach's alpha). The VISA-AF shows low correlations with the divergent sub-scales of the SF 36 and moderate correlations with the convergent sub-scales of the SF-36. No floor and ceiling effects were detected during the evaluation of the two questionnaires. Conclusion. -The French versions of the VISA-P and VISA-A questionnaires are therefore French comprehensible adaptation, reliable and adapted to French-speaking patients suffering from patellar or calcaneal tendinopathies. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.