Reliability of the "American Knee Society Score" (AKSS).
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the reproducibility of the "American Knee Society Score" (AKSS) scale, and determine its measurement, in order to make it useful for the evaluation of patients with osteoarthritis or who have undergone total knee arthroplasty.


METHODS
In the first interview, the AKSS was applied along with the SF-36 and WOMAC (examiner 1). After thirty minutes the same patients answered only the AKSS. After a two week break, a third additional interview with AKSS was applied (examiner 2).


RESULTS
We selected 58 patients with a mean age of 67.4 years. In the analysis of reproducibility, by ICC, there was strong inter-examiner and intra-examiner correlation for two AKSS components. In the individual items analysis there was good correlation for "Pain", "Range of Motion", "Flexion contracture" and all items of the AKSS Function component. Validation through the Pearson coefficient showed good correlation between AKSS "Pain," WOMAC "pain" and SF-36 "Pain domain", and good correlation between the AKSS and SF-36 "Functional Capacity domain".


CONCLUSIONS
The AKSS adapted to Brazilian culture is useful and reliable for the evaluation of individuals with osteoarthritis or those who have undergone TKA.
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo -UNIFESP/EPM - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Ana Luiza Cabrera
AL
Martimbianco
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo -UNIFESP/EPM - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Fernanda Rizzo
FR
Calabrese
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo -UNIFESP/EPM - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Luiz Alberto Nakao
LA
Iha
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo -UNIFESP/EPM - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Marcelo
M
Petrilli
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo -UNIFESP/EPM - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Ozório
O
Lira Neto
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo -UNIFESP/EPM - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Mário
M
Carneiro Filho
Arthroplasty, replacement, knee; Evaluation, Validation studies; Questionnaires