The Psychometric Features of the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation in Iranians With Scaphoid or Distal Radius Fracture

It is essential to have a suitable instrument for the accurate assessments of pain and disability outcomes during interventions; such tools also help to guide hand surgery and rehabilitation programs in distal radius or scaphoid fracture. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric features of the Patient-rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) questionnaire in Iranians with a history of scaphoid and distal radius fractures.

One hundred and fifty subjects with a history of scaphoid and distal radius fractures were recruited from hospital-based outpatient hand clinics and completed the PRWE, 2 and 7 days after the occurrence of fracture. Additionally, the Quick-Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick-DASH), the percentage of Wrist Range of Motion (%ROM), Visual Analog Scale Pain/Disability (VAS-P, VAS-D), Short-form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires, and pinch and grip strength (%) were conducted in the study participants. Cronbach’s alpha (α) coefficient and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the scale, respectively. Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated for assessing the test’s construct validity.

No floor or ceiling effect was found. A very high test-retest reliability was obtained for the PRWE’s total score and subscores (ICC≥0.92). Cronbach’s α coefficient was obtained as ≥0.78 for the PRWE and its subscales. The PRWE total score presented a weak to strong (0.24-0.74) correlation with the average values of %ROM, %power grip, %pinch strength, VAS-P, VAS-D, SF-36, and Quick-DASH. The standard error of the measurement of PRWE total score equaled 3.93; its smallest real difference was 10.86. 

The PRWE presented acceptable validity and excellent reliability for measuring disability and pain in individuals with the scaphoid and distal radius fractures in Iran.