Self-administered quality-of-life questionnaires are a valuable evaluation tool in orthopedic surgery to determine patient satisfaction. The Oxford knee questionnaire has been validated for osteoarthritic patients. The aim of this study was to validate a French version of this English form. One hundred patients waiting for knee replacement were selected. The answers to the questionnaire were analysed and compared to the clinical and functional International Knee Society score (IKS).

There is negative correlation between the results of the Oxford knee questionnaire and the IKS score.

None of the patients had difficulty understanding the questions. The mean Oxford knee score was 43.7 (range 21–56, SD 6.9). The distribution was considered normal. There was no floor effect (0%); there was a limited ceiling effect (7%). The internal consistency of the questionnaire was excellent. There was a negative correlation between the Oxford knee score and the IKS knee score, functional score and global score.

Our results are very similar to the results from the normative English version of the knee questionnaire and to the results from translated questionnaires in other foreign languages. Our French adaptation of the Oxford knee questionnaire can be used to measure the global function of a patient before knee replacement as accurately as the original English version. It is self-administered, easy to use and patients can send their responses by post, which makes it a useful tool for the routine evaluation of patients before knee replacement.

Level III, case-control study.