Validity and reliability of the French translation of the VISA-A questionnaire for Achilles tendinopathy

Purpose: The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment – Achilles tendinopathy questionnaire (VISA-A) evaluates the clinical severity of Achilles tendinopathy. The aim of this study was to translate the VISA-A into French and to study the reliability and validity of this French version, the VISA-AF. Method: The VISA-A was translated into French to produce the VISA-AF using a validated methodology in six steps. Thereafter, several psychometric properties of this French version such as test–retest reliability, internal consistency, construct validity and floor and ceiling effects were evaluated. Therefore, we recruited 116 subjects, distributed into 3 groups: pathological patients (n = 31), at-risk athletes (n = 63) and healthy people (n = 22). Results: The final version of the VISA-AF was approved by an expert committee. On a scale ranging from 0 to 100, the average scores of the VISA-AF obtained were 59 (± 18) for the pathological group, 99 (± 1) for the healthy group and 94 (± 7) for the at-risk group. The VISA-AF shows excellent reliability, low correlations with the discriminant subscales of the SF-36 and moderate correlations with the convergent subscales of the SF-36. Conclusions: The French version of the VISA-A is equivalent to its original version and is a reliable and valid questionnaire for French-speaking patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Implication for Rehabilitation The VISA-AF questionnaire is a reliable translation of the original VISA-A, from English into French, which is one of the most widespread languages in the world. The VISA-AF questionnaire is now a valid instrument that can be used by clinicians and researchers to assess the severity of pain and disability of French-speaking subjects with Achilles tendinopathy. The VISA-AF is a questionnaire to assess the severity of Achilles tendinopathy symptoms but is not a diagnostic tool.