Two-Year Longitudinal Changes in Lower Limb Strength and Its Relation to Loss in Function in a Large Cohort of Patients With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Objective The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of disease on strength in two functionally important lower limb muscles for a period of 2 yrs in children with Duchene muscular dystrophy. Design Seventy-seven Duchene muscular dystrophy children participated in this study. Plantar flexors, knee extensors, strength, and performance on timed tests (6-min walk, 4-stairs, 10-m walk, supine-up) were assessed yearly for 2 yrs. Multivariate normal regression was used to assess changes in strength over time in the Duchene muscular dystrophy group. Spearman correlations were computed to examine relationship between strength and function. Results Normalized plantar flexor and knee extensor strength showed a significant decrease (P

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