10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT)

The 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) is a performance-based assessment designed to measure walking speed in meters per second over a short distance. It is widely used to evaluate functional mobility, gait capacity, and vestibular function¹.

Target Population

The 10MWT can be applied across a broad range of patient groups, including:

Neurological conditions:

• Acquired brain injury

• Cerebral palsy

• Multiple sclerosis

• Parkinson’s disease

• Spinal cord injury

• Stroke

• Traumatic brain injury

Orthopedic conditions:

• Hip fracture

• Knee or hip arthroplasty

• Lower-limb amputation

Geriatrics:

• Older adults, as gait speed is a strong predictor of functional mobility and fall risk².

Test Procedure

Equipment

• 14-meter walkway, marked at 0, 2, 12, and 14 meters

• Stopwatch/timer

• Usual walking aids (if applicable)

• Two chairs for rest before and after the test

Protocol

• The patient walks a total of 14 meters, with the first and last 2 meters used for acceleration and deceleration.

• The measured distance is between the 2 m and 12 m markers (10 meters total).

• Testing can be performed at both comfortable walking speed and maximum walking speed.

• Timing starts when the toes cross the 2 m mark and stops when they cross the 12 m mark.

• The test is repeated three times, and the average is calculated.

• If a walking aid is used, it must remain consistent across all trials.

Observation:

• The therapist walks half a step behind the patient to avoid influencing gait speed.

• Do not walk beside or in front of the patient, as this can alter their natural pace³.

Scoring

Walking speed is calculated as:

Walking Speed (m/s)=10 meterstime (seconds)\text{Walking Speed (m/s)} = \frac{10 \, \text{meters}}{\text{time (seconds)}}Walking Speed (m/s)=time (seconds)10meters​

The result is reported in meters per second (m/s).

Evidence and Measurement Properties

Test-Retest Reliability

10MWT has excellent reliability across multiple populations:

• Neuromuscular disorders in children: ICC = 0.91⁸

• Healthy adults: ICC = 0.91–0.93⁹

• Hip fracture: ICC = 0.82¹¹

• Parkinson’s disease: ICC = 0.96 (comfortable), ICC = 0.97 (maximal)¹²

• Spinal cord injury: ICC = 0.97¹³

• Stroke: ICC = 0.94 (comfortable), ICC = 0.97 (maximal)¹⁵

• Traumatic brain injury: ICC = 0.95–0.96¹⁷

• Knee/hip arthroplasty: ICC = 0.82–0.95¹⁸

Inter- and Intrarater Reliability

• Healthy adults: ICC = 0.98¹⁹

• Spinal cord injury: ICC > 0.95²¹

• Stroke: ICC = 0.998¹⁹

• Traumatic brain injury: ICC = 0.99²²

• Knee/hip osteoarthritis: ICC = 0.88²³

• Down syndrome: Good intra-rater and excellent inter-rater reliability²⁴

Validity

• Multiple sclerosis: Strong correlation with independence in daily living (r = 0.60–0.87)²⁵

• Stroke: High correlation with Barthel Index (r = 0.78)²²

• Hip fracture: Strong correlation with 6-Minute Walk Test (r = 0.82)²⁶

• Spinal cord injury: High correlation with TUG (r = 0.89) and 6MWT (ρ = -0.95)²⁹

Responsiveness and Clinical Significance

• Geriatrics and stroke:

  • Small meaningful change = 0.05 m/s

  • Substantial meaningful change = 0.10 m/s³¹

• Spinal cord injury: Minimal detectable change (MDC) = 0.13 m/s¹⁴

• Knee arthroplasty: Walking speed improved from 0.96 m/s pre-op to 1.16 m/s at 6–12 months³²

• Hip arthroplasty: Meta-analysis showed gait speed improvement up to 12 months post-op³³

Conclusion

The 10-Meter Walk Test is a highly reliable and valid tool for assessing walking speed across neurological, orthopedic, and geriatric populations. Its simplicity, reproducibility, and sensitivity make it an essential measure in rehabilitation for tracking functional mobility, gait capacity, and fall risk.

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