About Distal Myopathy
Distal Myopathies are a heterogeneous group of inherited muscle disorders characterised by weakness that begins in the distal muscles of the hands and feet, in contrast to the proximal pattern seen in most muscular dystrophies. Major subtypes include Miyoshi myopathy (DYSF mutations, early adult posterior calf weakness), Laing distal myopathy (MYH7 mutations, childhood anterior foot and finger weakness), and Welander distal myopathy (TIA1 mutations, predominantly seen in Scandinavians). Progression to proximal weakness occurs in most subtypes.
Common Clinical Features
Clinical Trial Eligibility Tips
What to know before applying to Distal Myopathy trials.
Subtype-specific genetic diagnosis is mandatory as each distal myopathy subtype has distinct gene targets; a comprehensive neuromuscular gene panel is preferable to single-gene testing
Muscle MRI showing a characteristic pattern of fat replacement is highly valuable for diagnosis and increasingly used as an imaging biomarker endpoint in trials
Dysferlinopathy trials (Miyoshi/LGMD R2) have an active pipeline — if DYSF is your gene, check both LGMD and distal myopathy trial categories as the same mutation causes both phenotypes
Patient Resources
Find recruiting Distal Myopathy trials
Search 500,000+ studies from ClinicalTrials.gov, filtered for Distal Myopathy. Updated daily.