Background: Functional activities are extensively used in motor assessments of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The role of timed items has been reported as an early prognostic factor for disease progression. However, there are two functional activities that are not widely assessed in clinical practice among Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients: rolling and bed rising. This study aimed to investigate whether the 360-degree roll (roll) and supine to sit-to-edge (bed rise) measurements are feasible tools reflecting the functional status of ambulatory DMD children by establishing possible correlations between validated measures: the Vignos Scale (VS), timed rise from floor and the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT).
Methods: A total of 32 ambulant boys with DMD were assessed using timed items, the 6MWT and VS.
Results: The roll and bed rise are correlated with each other. The 6MWT, the floor rise and VS are correlated with the roll and with the bed rise.
Conclusions: Findings offer preliminary empirical evidence addressing feasibility and safety of roll and bed rise measurements. There is a potential clinical utility of these tests in assessing functional status of DMD ambulant patients.