Validity of the Turkish Translation of the Modified JOA

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction in adults and may lead to progressive motor, sensory, and autonomic impairment. Accurate and standardized assessment of neurological function is essential for clinical decision-making, prognostic evaluation, and comparison of treatment outcomes. The Modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score is one of the most widely used clinician-based outcome measures for evaluating neurological status in patients with DCM. Although the mJOA has been translated and validated in several languages, no validated Turkish version currently exists.

This prospective, cross-sectional validation study aims to culturally adapt the mJOA score into Turkish and evaluate its validity, reliability, and clinical correlation in Turkish-speaking patients diagnosed with DCM. Adult patients (≥18 years) with clinically and radiologically confirmed DCM presenting to the outpatient clinics of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neurosurgery will be included. Previously obtained cervical magnetic resonance imaging will be reviewed retrospectively to determine myelomalacia levels, while clinical scales will be administered prospectively.

Construct validity will be assessed by examining correlations between the Turkish mJOA scores and the Neck Disability Index, as well as the Nurick grading system. Inter-rater reliability will be evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC \[2,1\]) between two independent evaluators, and test-retest reliability will be assessed in clinically stable patients after 7-14 days. Feasibility will be evaluated by recording the administration time and potential difficulties during application.

This study is expected to provide a valid and reliable Turkish version of the mJOA score, facilitating standardized assessment of DCM in Turkish clinical practice and enabling comparability with international research.