The Korean version of the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Cross cultural adaptation, reliability, validity and responsiveness

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire to produce an equivalent Korean version. A total of 53 patients completed the Korean version of the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire pre-operatively and 3 months after open carpal tunnel release. All 53 also completed the Korean version of the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire pre-operatively and 3 months post-operatively. Reliability was measured by determining the test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and paired t-tests, and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Pearson correlation analysis was carried out on the Korean version of the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire scores and the Korean version of the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores to assess construct validity. Responsiveness was evaluated using effect sizes and standardized response means. The reliability of the Korean version of the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire was good. The scores in the Korean version of the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand strongly correlated with the scores in the Korean version of the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Standardized response mean and effect size were both large for the Korean version of the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. The study shows that the Korean version of the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire is a reliable, valid and responsive instrument for measuring outcomes in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Changes in Clinical Symptoms, Functions, and the Median Nerve Cross-Sectional Area at the Carpal Tunnel Inlet after Open Carpal Tunnel Release

“…Patients also completed the BCTQ preoperatively and at 2 and 12 weeks postoperatively. The BCTQ 18) consists of 2 scales that evaluate symptoms (BCTQ-S) and function (BCTQ-F). BCTQ-S consists of 11 questions that address the severity and frequency of pain, numbness, weakness, and loss of dexterity.…”

Translation and validation of the Arabic version of the Boston carpal tunnel syndrome questionnaire

“…The ICCs for the SSS and FSS in this study are comparable to those measured in previous studies. [9][10][11][12][13] Contrary to other studies, 5,10-13 we did not use the correlation between the BCTQ-A and other quality-of-life outcome measures, but we chose exploratory factor analysis to test the hypothetical constructs of the BCTQ-A. The 3-factor structure )function, sensory symptoms, and pain( in our study provides the best account for the data, and explains 56.9% of the total variance.…”

“…The BCTQ score reflects CTS severity in a typical 24-hour period within the last 2 weeks before completing the questionnaire. 4,8 The BCTQ has been translated and validated in many languages, 5,[9][10][11][12][13] but not yet in Arabic. Validation of an Arabic version of the BCTQ would be useful to help physicians assess the impact of CTS from the patients' perspective and objectively assess post-intervention improvement.…”

“…It is also similar to the internal consistency reported by other validation studies of the BCTQ. 5,9,12,13 We decided to maintain a one-week interval to assess test-retest reliability; such interval would be long enough to allow patients to forget their initial responses but not long enough to allow for a true change in their CTS status. When calculating the scores for each scale on an individual level, we decided to use the sum of the scores rather than the mean score of all items, which was used in the original study.…”

“…This has also been shown in other BCTQ validation studies. 5,9,10,12 A time-lag in the post-CTR improvements in functional activities with respect to the improvements in symptoms severity is a possible explanation. However, the FSS is mostly a generic scale, and the activities included are affected by many musculoskeletal conditions of the upper extremities.…”