Assessment of Muscle Disorders

Question 1

Specific questions you’d ask in a MSK history

Answer 1

Childhood motor development

Age of onset

Proximal or distal weakness
Distribution of muscle involvement
-upper/lower limbs
-ant/post compartments

Scapular winging?
Spinal rigidity, scoliosis?

Muscle hypertrophy?

Cardiac, respiratory involvement?

Question 2

Blood tests you would consider

Answer 2

CK - can stratify by underlying muscle condition
-v high in BMD, inflammatory muscle disease

If inflammtory - autoAB

Question 3

Other tests you would consider

Answer 3

Less invasive testing first

• genetics
• muscle biopsy => immunostaining