Validation of the short version of the Van Lieshout test in an italian population with cervical spinal cord injuries: a cross-sectional study

Study design: Psychometric study. Objective: To validate the Italian version of the Van Lieshout Test Short Version (VLT-SV) with a spinal cord injury population. Setting: Three Italian spinal units. Methods: The Italian version of the VLT-SV (VLT-SV-IT) was administered to a sample of people with cervical spinal cord injuries (C-SCI) and the test–retest was performed. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency and the intraclass correlation coefficient for repeatability assessment (test–retest). Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated for concurrent validity with the Italian version of the Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT) and for construct validity with the Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury Independence Measure (SCIM III). Results: The VLT-SV-IT was administered to 61 individuals and all psychometric properties were significant: Cronbach’s alpha was 0.95 (left hand and right hand) and the intraclass correlation coefficient for test–retest reliability was 0.90 for the right hand, the left hand, and the total score. Pearson’s correlation coefficient of the VLT-SV-IT with the JTHFT was significant, while the correlation with SCIM III was not. The obtained values are considered acceptable and consistent with international guidelines. Conclusions: The VLT-SV-IT was shown to be a reliable and valid assessment tool for measuring hand function in the Italian population with C-SCI. This result suggests that it could be used as a starting point for hand therapy and to assist in clinical decision-making regarding treatment policy.