Shoulder instability can be defined as the inability to maintain the normal position of the humeral head on the glenoid during upperlimb movements, which causes apprehension and/or pain.11 Acute traumatic anterior dislocation is the most common cause of shoulder instability. Shoulder instability may not manifest during clinical examination. The symptoms are typically intermittent and variable, thus an accurate assessment of symptoms over time and life circumstances is required to accurately portray the functional impact.Several instruments have been developed to determine the effects of shoulder instability. However, the majority of instability outcome measures consist of physician-rated questionnaires based on clinical information that does not convey T T STUDY DESIGN: Clinical measurement study.
T T OBJECTIVES:To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI) into Italian, and to evaluate its measurement properties in patients with shoulder instability secondary to a first-time traumatic anterior dislocation.
T T BACKGROUND:The WOSI was developed for English-speaking patients. To date, no Italian version of the WOSI exists.
T T METHODS:The WOSI was cross-culturally adapted to Italian according to established guidelines. Sixty-four (16 women, 48 men) patients with unilateral shoulder anterior instability were prospectively recruited for the purposes of this study. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness of the WOSI were evaluated.
T T CONCLUSION:The Italian version of the WOSI is a valid, reliable, and responsive tool that can be used to measure function in Italian-speaking patients with shoulder instability due to a first-time traumatic anterior dislocation.