Functional Gait Assessment - German Version Translation of an Instrument for the Assessment of Balance Ability during Gait

Background: The assessment of different phenomena with standardized and psychometric evaluated instruments is an important issue in physiotherapeutic practice and research. Most assessments are published in English. There are few authorised and methodically comprehend German translations. The Functional Gait Assessment examines balance abilities during functional walking tasks. Objective: The aim of this study was the translation of the Functional Gait Assessment in a German version. Methods: The translation process was in line with Recommendations for the Cross-Cultural Adaption of Health Status Measures published by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). A first German draft version emerged from 2 initial translations. This first draft version was then translated backwards by 2 independent translators. The backward translations were compared with the original instrument and a final German version was drawn. Result/Conclusion: The German version of the Functional Gait Assessment is the first authorised and methodically comprehend German translation and is nowready for use in research and practice.