What scale assesses walking ability and stair climbing in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?

The Vignos functional rating scale specifically evaluates the walking ability and stair climbing in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This scale assigns scores based on the child’s performance in various activities that reflect their functional mobility and endurance, which is especially important in this population due to the progressive nature of the disease.

The focus on walking and stair climbing makes the Vignos scale uniquely suited to assess the key mobility issues faced by children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It allows clinicians and researchers to track changes over time and helps in planning interventions to maintain or improve mobility.

In contrast, other scales like the Barthel index primarily evaluate activities of daily living rather than specific mobility tasks, while the Gross Motor Function Measure assesses broader aspects of gross motor function across various conditions, not limited to walking or stair climbing. The PedsQL Scale is focused on health-related quality of life for pediatric patients and does not directly measure physical abilities.