OBJECTIVE. To determine the reliability and validity of a dedicated assessment tool for lateral epicondylitis after translation into Hong Kong Chinese.

DESIGN. Cross-sectional study.

SETTING. District hospital, Hong Kong.

PATIENTS. Seventy-four patients, 12 of whom were bilingual, were recruited (total of 82 elbows).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Translation equivalence and reliability were measured with the test-retest method. Validity was measured against the Roles and Maudsley outcome score and mean maximal grip strength.

RESULT. The Patient-rated Forearm Evaluation Questionnaire had high English-Chinese equivalence (Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient=0.926; P<0.001). It was also very reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.99; P<0.001). Validity according to the Roles and Maudsley outcome score and mean of maximal grip strength was significant (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION. The Hong Kong Chinese version of Patient-rated Forearm Evaluation Questionnaire is a reliable and valid assessment tool for chronic lateral epicondylitis. Its equivalence to the original English version makes outcome assessment across cultural barrier feasible.

Key words: Outcome assessment; Questionnaires; Tennis elbow

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