Validating the forgotten joint score-12 in patients after ACL reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• The Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) is validated for joint arthroplasty outcomes.
• Its utility in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has not been previously established.
• This study addresses the need for validated patient-reported outcome measures in ACL surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the FJS-12 against the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS).
• To assess the FJS-12's reliability and validity in patients following ACL reconstruction.
• To determine if FJS-12 is a suitable tool for measuring joint awareness post-ACL surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing arthroscopic ACL reconstruction (2000-2005 and 2011-2014).
• Statistical analysis including Cronbach's alpha, item-total correlations, and principal component factor analysis for unidimensionality.
• Convergent validity assessed using Spearman correlation coefficients between FJS-12 and comparable scales (KOOS, WOMAC).

Main Results:

• The FJS-12 demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.95).
• Lower ceiling effects were observed for FJS-12 compared to KOOS and WOMAC subscales in both medium-term and long-term follow-up groups.
• The score proved effective in measuring joint awareness across different follow-up durations.

Conclusions:

• The FJS-12 is a valid and reliable measurement tool for evaluating outcomes after ACL reconstruction.
• This study supports the use of FJS-12 as a patient-reported outcome measure in ACL surgery.
• The findings extend the application of FJS-12 from joint arthroplasty to ACL reconstruction outcomes.