Validity and Reliability of the Finnish Version of the Locomotor Capabilities Index-5 in Patients Fitted with a Prosthesis after Major Lower Extremity Amputation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction There has been a lack of psychometrically sound instruments in Finnish for assessment of mobility after major lower-limb amputation. This study aimed to translate the Locomotor Capabilities Index-5 (LCI-5) into Finnish and assess its psychometric properties. Materials and Methods The LCI-5 was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Finnish. Lower-limb prosthesis users (N = 112, mean time since amputation 9 years) completed the questionnaire compilation twice in a 2-week interval. Results No semantic discord emerged during the translation process. The mean (SD) total LCI-5 score was 42 (15), and intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93–0.96). Cronbach's alpha was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.95–0.97). Item-to-total correlations varied between 0.70 and 0.88. The LCI-5 correlated strongly with the 15D Mobility dimension (r = 0.76; P < 0.01), Houghton scale (r = 0.78; P < 0,001), and the Mobility section of the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire (0.70; P < 0.001). The LCI-5 discriminated between transtibial and transfemoral amputation groups and had a moderate correlation with patients' age. Maximum scores were reached by 24% of the respondents. Conclusions Based on the findings of the present study, the Finnish LCI-5 has good reliability and validity for assessing mobility in patients who have undergone major lower-limb amputation and successful prosthesis fitting.