Translation and Validation of a Simplified Chinese Version of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Quality of Life Questionnaire

Abstract

Background: The Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Quality of Life (ACL-QOL) questionnaire is a widely used and effective scale for quality of life in patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Purpose: To translate and adapt the ACL-QOL questionnaire for Chinese patients and evaluate its reliability, validity, and responsiveness in this population. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Translation and adaptation were conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the A merican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Outcome Committee. Included were 121 patients who were diagnosed with a chronic ACL injury and underwent ACL reconstruction between January 2020 and June 2021. Preoperatively, patients completed the simplified Chinese version of the ACL-QOL (ACL-QOL-C), the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey. The ACL-QOL-C was also completed at 12- and 24-week follow-ups. Psychometric evaluations were then performed and included score distribution, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness. Results: The Cronbach alpha ranged from.905 to.975, indicating excellent internal consistency, and the intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.864 to 0.985, indicating excellent test-retest reliability. The consistency between the above results and our a priori hypotheses was more than 70% (35/42), indicating good construct validity. The standard error of measurement and effect size of the total score and each item of the ACL-QOL-C were >0.8 at the final follow-up, indicating good responsiveness. Conclusion: The English version of the ACL-QOL has been successfully translated into Chinese, and it has been shown to be applicable for the assessment of the quality of life in Chinese patients with chronic ACL injury.