Abstract
Background The Mayo Elbow Performance Score is a clinical assessment to rate the performance
of the elbow from a medical and/or therapeutic perspective. It is simple and efficient
to operate and therefore frequently used in research as well as in clinics. However,
an adequate translation of the MEPS into the German language and a verification of
the quality criteria for the use in the German health system are currently lacking.
Goal of the Study The aim of this study is to translate the MEPS and to review the applicability of
the German version (MEPS-G) in Germany.
Materials and Methods The translation was undertaken on the basis of a guideline for cultural adaptation.
Two independent translations were created, combined and translated back into English
by two native speakers. The back translations were reviewed and the German version
was amended accordingly. The suitability of the final questionnaire was verified in
a pretest with 73 participants.
Results The MEPS was converted into the German version MEPS-G and was tested. Apart from
minor adjustments, the questionnaire was translated into German without difficulty.
The time to complete the assessment was on average 2.5 min (± 1.6).
Conclusion First analyses of the psychometric properties of the German MEPS showed identical
values as the English version. The detailed quality criteria will be reviewed in a
subsequent study.
Key words
MEPI - Mayo Elbow Performance Index - elbow - version - transformation
