The MFM adventure started at l'Escale, the department of paediatric rehabilitation at the Hospices Civils de Lyon, one of whose missions is the evaluation of the abilities of motor handicapped children.

Since 1992, Gross Motor Function Measure has been used not only routinely within the framework of its indications for cerebral paralysis, but also for other pathologies for which it was validated (spinal muscular atrophy). The Canadian tool, translated into French, became the EMFG (Evaluation Motrice Fonctionelle Globale) and l'Escale ensures training in its use.

However, the EMFG is poorly adapted to neuromuscular pathologies, as this tool is designed for patients impeded more by stiffness than by weakness. After an exhaustive study of the scientific literature and the opinion of several international teams, l'Escale's team decided to create a new evaluation scale, with a temporary version in 1998. In total, eight years were necessary to test a first version, then a second.

The final version of the MFM was validated between May 2002 and March 2003 with 303 subjects from 6 to 60 years old, suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy, facio-scapulo-humeral dystrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, congenital muscular dystrophy, congenital myopathy, myotonic dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy or hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. The sensitivity to change study took place between October 2003 and July 2004. It related to 152 subjects."

166 national and international teams, including the MFM study group, took part in this adventure. Nor could the MFM scale have been created without the joint funding of the Association Française des Myopathies and Handicap International, who continuously supported the project during these years.