Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Greek version of the Kerlan-Jobe orthopaedic clinic shoulder and elbow score in Greek overhead athletes

Abstract

Background: Overhead athletes frequently perform rapid and powerful throwing overhead strokes in positions at the extreme range of motion, increasing the risk of upper limb injury. The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic (KJOC) Shoulder and Elbow Score has shown to be a valid and reliable questionnaire that can be used for the assessment of the functional status of the upper limb of patients involved in highly demanding overhead sports. The KJOC has been translated into several other languages however, a Greek version of the KJOC is not available yet. Methods: The KJOC will be cross-culturally adapted into Greek following international guidelines. At least 100 overhead athletes with or without shoulder or elbow complaints will be recruited and asked to fill in the Greek version of the KJOC twice and the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH) once. The internal consistency and the test-retest reliability will be examined using Cronbach’s alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. The standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimum detectable change (MDC) will be calculated and possible ground or ceiling effects will be also examined. Convergent validity will be evaluated with the Greek DASH using Pearson’s correlation. Results: The results of this study will be presented in an article to be published later. Conclusions: This report describes the process of translation and cross cultural adaptation of the Greek version of the KJOC. We believe a study protocol will assist researchers in the field to improve the reporting of similar studies and as a result improve the quality of their studies.