Standardisation and validation of the German version 2.0 of the Disability of Arm, Shoulder, Hand (DASH) questionnaire

The Disability of Arm, Shoulder, Hand (DASH) Version 2.0 questionnaire captures the subjective experience of patients regarding their own health. This 78-item instrument was developed by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS),the Council of Musculoskeletal Speciality Societies and the Institute for Work and Health,Toronto and measures components of health-status relevant to upper-extremity conditions. We translated and validated DASH with the aim of producing a tool which could also be used in German-speaking countries. The paper reports the method of translation and cross-cultural adaptation which was carried out according to the AAOS guidelines. The result was a standardised German version of DASH. Psychometric testing of the translated questionnaire was carried out with 6 samples (n = 342) who had undergone hand surgery for a variety of conditions. The study yielded good results across all groups with regard to the construct, criterion and content validity. We confirm that the German version is suitable for use in future studies.