Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of the Italian version of the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) questionnaire

Background. The Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) questionnaire is a tool designed for self-assessment of forearm pain and disability in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET). However, an Italian version of this questionnaire has not been available. Objective. The aims of this study were: (1) to translate and cross-culturally adapt the PRTEE questionnaire into Italian and (2) to evaluate its measurement properties. Design. This was a longitudinal, observational measurement study. Methods. The PRTEE questionnaire was cross-culturally adapted to Italian according to established guidelines. Ninety-five individuals (41 women, 54 men) with unilateral, imaging-confirmed, chronic LET were selected consecutively to assess the measurement properties of the PRTEE questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness were estimated. Results. The Italian version of the PRTEE displayed a high degree of internal consistency, with a Cronbach alpha of.95. The test-retest reliability was high for both short-term and medium-term, with intraclass correlation coefficients (2,1) of.95 and.93, respectively. The PRTEE exhibited a strong correlation (r=.77-.91, P<.0001) with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) at the baseline and a moderate correlation (r=.58-.74, P<.0001) at discharge. The responsiveness was higher for the PRTEE than for the DASH. Limitations. A methodological limitation of the study is that due to the small sample size, a factor analysis was not performed to assess convergent validity. Conclusions. The Italian version of the PRTEE questionnaire is internally consistent, demonstrates expected correlations with other measures, and is more responsive than the DASH in Italian patients with chronic LET. © 2012 American Physical Therapy Association.