Translation, adaptation and validation of the 12-item Oxford hip score into Arabic

Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joint that affects the adult population. Clinical experience has shown that it is the most common joint disease. The incidence and prevalence of osteoarthritis increases with age globally. Osteoarthritis has a great impact on national economies due to the high cost of treatment and surgical techniques and the quality of life of the patients’. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Scientific Group on Rheumatic Disease, it is estimated that 10 percent of the global population who are above 60 years have significant medical disorders that can be linked to osteoarthritis. Because there is an increase in prevalence and incidence with age, life expectancy and obesity will result in an increase in OA incidence. Studies have proven the age and sex-standard incidence of hip osteoarthritis to be 88 per 100.000 person-years. The epidemiology of osteoarthritis is multifactorial, encompassing biological, biomechanical and genetic factors. The prevalence is higher in women over 60 years of age than it is in men of the same age group. Medical professionals have encountered challenges determining the pain intensity and degenerative progression of the disease. Management of osteoarthritis include lifestyle modification, and pharmacological therapy. This pinpoint the crucial nature of quantifying the degree of pain. Patients with hip osteoarthritis experience pain and also complain about functional impairment during daily activities such as climbing the stairs and walking. Strength deficits, stiffness, disturbances in gait, loss of joint movement, and decreased walking velocity are common clinical findings that are peculiar to hip OA. Defects in physical function and pain do have a negative effect on the patient’s quality of life. Abstract Objectives: To determine the ease of using the Arabic translation of the score while rendering the Arabic version valid for clinical use by Arab patients. Methods: 110 patients participated. The internal consistency tests were performed using Cronbach’s alpha. Test-retest reliability (intra-correlation coefficient), convergent construct validity, convergent validity, floor & ceiling effects, and responsiveness was also calculated. In order to measure the level of agreement, Bland-Altman Plot, forest Plots were performed. Results: To test the instrument reliability, Cronbach’s alpha was obtained. It proved excellent for the three testing occasions – α 1 =0.97, α 2 =0.97, and α 3 =0.97. Intra-class correlation coefficient was fair with a score of 0.58 (95% CI 0.38-0.73). Factor analysis was performed to test for factor validity principal axis factoring, with no rotation. As hypothesized, the factor analysis yielded one factor, which explains 78% of the variance. Floor effect was recorded for 1% of the patients, and showed a ceiling effect of 8%, 2%, and 3% for the first, second, and third weeks of testing respectively. Conclusion: Arabic version of OHS could potentially be used as diagnostic tool for patients with hip problems regarding information about the overall condition of the patient at a given time.