About the VISA-P inverse
VISA-P inverse uses the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella questionnaire content to assess the severity of patellar tendinopathy symptoms, while presenting questions 1 to 6 with conventional pain-scale direction where 0/10 is best and 10/10 is worst. This can make the pain questions more intuitive for patients accustomed to typical VAS and NRS pain scoring.
Medical Specialties
Anatomic Areas
Clinical Indications
Developer Information
Based on the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella questionnaire developed by the Victorian Institute of Sport Tendon Study Group, led by Visentini PJ, Khan KM, Cook JL, Kiss ZS, Harcourt PR, and Wark JD.
Copyright & Licensing
The VISA-P questionnaire is freely available for use in clinical practice and research settings without licensing fees or restrictions. It may be reproduced and used without permission from the developers, though proper citation of the original validation study is encouraged.
Administration Instructions
Answer each question honestly about pain in your knee cap region over the past week. For questions 1 to 6, 0/10 is best and 10/10 is worst. The final score is calculated in the same direction as the original VISA-P.
Scoring Methodology
The form comprises eight questions with a maximum total score of 100 points. Questions 1-6 are presented as inverse Visual Analog Scale responses, where 0 represents the best state and 10 represents the worst pain or limitation. For scoring, questions 1-6 are reverse-transformed using 10 minus the selected response so the item contributions match the original VISA-P direction. Question 7 and Question 8 retain the original VISA-P response values. The transformed item scores are summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 (worst symptoms) to 100 (asymptomatic). Higher scores indicate better function and fewer symptoms.
Meaningful Change Threshold
A minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 13 points has been established for the VISA-P. Because VISA-P inverse calculates the total score in the same direction as VISA-P, the same threshold can be used for interpreting meaningful change.
Score Interpretation
Understanding what your score means
severe
0 - 49Severe symptoms with major functional impairment. Patient has substantial limitations in daily activities and sports participation, with persistent pain affecting quality of life.
moderate
50 - 69Moderate symptoms with significant functional limitations. Patient experiences regular pain during activities and may need to reduce training intensity or frequency.
mild
70 - 89Mild symptoms with some functional limitations. Patient may experience occasional pain during or after activity but can generally maintain sports participation with minor modifications.
asymptomatic
90 - 100Excellent function with minimal or no symptoms. Patient is able to participate fully in sports and daily activities without limitation.
Clinical Limitations & Considerations
VISA-P inverse changes the response direction for questions 1 to 6 but keeps the calculated score equivalent to VISA-P. Clinicians should avoid mixing raw item responses from the original and inverse forms without accounting for this display-direction change.
Related Outcome Measures
Other clinical questionnaires for similar specialties and conditions
VISA-P
An index of the severity of patellar tendinopathy
VISA-G
An index of the severity of greater trochanteric pain syndrome
VISA-A (Sedentary)
A modified version of the VISA-A questionnaire designed specifically for sedentary/non-sporting patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Replaces sport-specific questions (hopping, sporting activity) with daily functional activity questions. Two dimensions: Symptoms (Q1-5, 0-50) and Activity (Q6-8, 0-50). Total Score: 0-100.
VISA-H
An index of the severity of proximal hamstring tendinopathy
VISA-A
An index assessing the severity of Achilles tendinopathy. Evaluates pain, function, and ability to participate in activities and sports. Scoring Breakdown: Questions 1-7 are scored out of 10 each (total 70). Question 8 (activity/pain) is scored out of 30. Total Score: 0-100.
IKDC Subjective Knee Evaluation
The knee-specific subjective component of the International Knee Documentation Committee form set. It measures symptoms, sport-related difficulty and overall knee function as a single normalised score.
This questionnaire is provided free of charge. Patient Watch charges only for platform services (data storage, automated reminders, analytics) - not for use of clinical instruments. This non-commercial model supports academic and clinical use.View full licensing disclosure