Reliability and validity analysis of the open-source Chinese Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS).

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Medical Outcomes Research

Background:

• Foot and ankle disorders represent a significant health burden.
• Standardized outcome measures are crucial for clinical research and patient care.
• Existing outcome scores may not be available or validated in all languages, including Chinese.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the first open-source outcome scoring system for foot and ankle problems in the Chinese language.
• To ensure the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS).

Main Methods:

• The English FAOS was translated into Chinese using a rigorous protocol, including forward-translation, expert consensus, back-translation, and patient field testing.
• Reliability was assessed with 20 subjects, and validity was assessed with 50 subjects.
• Validity was evaluated using the SF36 and Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), with internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha and correlations assessed using Spearman's rank correlation.

Main Results:

• The Chinese FAOS demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity.
• The scoring system showed good internal consistency among its subgroups.
• Positive correlations were observed between the Chinese FAOS, the SF36, and the NRS, supporting its construct validity.

Conclusions:

• The developed Chinese FAOS is a reliable, valid, and open-source tool for measuring outcomes in foot and ankle studies.
• This standardized instrument facilitates research and clinical practice for Chinese-speaking populations with foot and ankle conditions.