Definition of muscular dystrophy AEH EMERY The muscular dystrophies are a group of inherited disorders characterised by progressive muscle

wasting and weakness. A unifying feature of the dystrophies is the histological analysis of muscle samples which typically includes variations in fibre size, areas of muscle necrosis, and, ultimately, increased amounts of fat and connective tissue. The diagnosis therefore requires a muscle biopsy (generally a needle biopsy under local anaesthesia) and possibly electromyography