6-Minute Walk Test
Also written as: 6MWT — 6-Minute Walk Test
A standardised functional endurance test measuring the distance a patient can walk on a flat, hard surface in six minutes, commonly used to evaluate prosthesis users' mobility.
Full Definition
The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is a submaximal exercise test widely used in prosthetic rehabilitation research and clinical practice to quantify functional ambulation capacity. It reflects cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-limb endurance, and prosthetic efficiency simultaneously. In prosthetics literature, results are reported in metres or feet and compared against normative data or pre-treatment baseline. Editorially, the numeral '6' should be retained rather than spelled out, as this is the established name of the test; editors should not change it to 'Six-Minute Walk Test' unless the house style explicitly requires it. The test is distinct from the 2-Minute Walk Test and the 10-Metre Walk Test, which measure different parameters.
Usage
Usage note: Retain the numeral '6' in the test name as it is a proper noun; do not spell out as 'Six-Minute Walk Test' unless required by house style.
In Context
- "At the six-week follow-up, the participant's 6-Minute Walk Test distance improved by 48 metres." — Clinical research outcome report
- "The editor standardised all instances of 'Six Minute Walk Test' to '6-Minute Walk Test' per AMA style." — Journal copyediting note