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EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOTHERAPY, 2025 (ESCI)
PurposeAlthough the gait characteristics of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are so prominent, current scales are inadequate to evaluate and classify the gait characteristics observed in DMD in terms of quality and independence. The aim of this study was to develop a reliable and valid Gait Classification Scale for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (QIGS-DMD).MethodsThe items of the QIGS-DMD were designed based on the literature review considering existing functional classification scales, gait scales and the opinions of the physiotherapists who were expertised in rehabilitation of patients with DMD. Content validity was determined based on the opinions of a total of 10 expert physiotherapists. Videos of 69 children with DMD walking were videotaped, and inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were examined. Criterion validity was determined according to the relationship between QIGS-DMD and motor function measure (MFM) and Vignos Lower Extremity Rating Scale (VLERS).ResultsAgreement coefficients for inter- and intra-rater reliability were excellent for the five-item QIGS-DMD. Strong relations were determined between QIGS-DMD and VLERS and MFM.ConclusionsThe disease-specific QIGS-DMD is a new scale that is valid and reliable to simply classify the quality and independence of gait in the DMD population without the need for special equipment.