Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) into Spanish for Chile and LATAM

Background The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) assess physical function in musculoskeletal pathologies of the foot and ankle. Method The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt and validate the FAAM into Spanish for Chile and LATAM and assess its validity and reliability in patients with non-traumatic surgical orthopaedic pathologies. After translation and adaptation this retrospective cohort study included 940 participants answering FAAM and SF-36 scale. Results A high response rate (98%) with no floor or ceiling effect is reported. Excellent internal consistency for the scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.972) and subscales (ADLs = 0,974 and Sport = 0,954) were obtained. The principal component factor analysis gave two factors explaining 66% of the variance and reporting the same item structure of the original version. The FAAM-CL sub-scales had direct and significant correlations with the SF-36 components and subcomponents. Conclusions The FAAM-CL was culturally adapted and demonstrated a high rate of reliability, validity, and ability to evaluate foot and ankle pathologies among Spanish-speaking patients.