Which assessment measures muscle strength in children with CP?

• A. GMFM
• B. TUG
• C. SFA
• D. MMTs

Answer: (D)

Muscle strength in children with CP is most directly evaluated using manual muscle testing, which grades the force a muscle can produce against resistance on a standardized scale. This method targets the actual strength of specific muscle groups rather than overall functional performance. Other tests like GMFM focus on gross motor function and daily activity performance, not isolated strength; TUG measures time to complete a mobility task, reflecting balance and functional speed rather than pure strength; and the SFA assesses functional performance in school-related or movement contexts rather than muscle force. In CP, manual muscle testing can be adapted for the child’s abilities with careful positioning, and sometimes more objective measures like dynamometry are used when a more precise strength value is needed. Overall, manual muscle testing directly addresses the question of how strong the muscles are.