Validation of the short version of the Van Lieshout Test in an Italian population with cervical spinal cord injuries: a cross-sectional study.

STUDY DESIGN: Psychometric study.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Italian version of the Van Lieshout Test Short Version (VLT-SV) with a spinal cord injury population.

SETTING: Three Italian spinal units.

METHODS: The Italian version of the VLT-SV (VLT-SV-IT) was administered to a sample of people with cervical spinal cord injuries (C-SCI) and the test-retest was performed. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency and the intraclass correlation coefficient for repeatability assessment (test-retest). Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated for concurrent validity with the Italian version of the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT) and for construct validity with the Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury Independence Measure (SCIM III).

RESULTS: The VLT-SV-IT was administered to 61 individuals and all psychometric properties were significant: Cronbach's alpha was 0.95 (left hand and right hand) and the intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.90 for the right hand, the left hand, and the total score. Pearson's correlation coefficient of the VLT-SV-IT with the JTHFT was significant, while the correlation with SCIM III was not. The obtained values are considered acceptable and consistent with international guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS: The VLT-SV-IT was shown to be a reliable and valid assessment tool for measuring hand function in the Italian population with C-SCI. This result suggests that it could be used as a starting point for hand therapy and to assist in clinical decision-making regarding treatment policy.