The muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group of more than 30 inherited diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement.
Some forms of MD are seen in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later.
The disorders differ in terms of the distribution and extent of muscle weakness (some forms of MD also affect cardiac muscle), age of onset, rate of progression, and pattern of inheritance.
The prognosis for people with MD varies according to the type and progression of the disorder. Some cases may be mild and progress very slowly over a normal lifespan, while others produce severe muscle weakness, functional disability, and loss of the ability to walk. Some children with MD die in infancy while others live into adulthood with only moderate disability.
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