Their work is predated by descriptions of probable individual FSHD cases. The significance of D4Z4 contraction on chromosome 4 was established in the 1990s. The DUX4 gene was discovered in 1999, found to be expressed and toxic in 2007, and in 2010 the genetic mechanism causing its expression was elucidated. In 2012, the gene most frequently mutated in FSHD2 was identified. In 2019, the first drug designed to counteract DUX4 expression entered clinical trials. Signs and symptoms
Classically, weakness develops in the face, then the shoulder girdle, then the upper arm. These muscles can be spared and other muscles usually are affected. The order of muscle involvement can cause the appearance of weakness "descending" from the face to the legs. Distribution and degree of muscle weakness is extremely variable, even between identical twins. Musculoskeletal pain is very common, most often described in the neck, shoulders, lower back, and the back of the knee. Fatigue is also common. Muscle weakness usually becomes noticeable on one side of the body before the other, a hallmark of the disease. The right shoulder and arm muscles are more often affected than the left upper extremity muscles, independent of handedness. : 139  Otherwise, neither side of the body has been found to be at more risk. Classically, symptoms appear in those 15 – 30 years of age, although infantile onset, adult onset, and absence of symptoms despite having the causal genetics also occur. FSHD1 with a very large D4Z4 deletion (EcoRI 10-11 kb) is more strongly associated with infantile onset and severe weakness.
Another form of scapular fixation, although not commonly done in FSHD, is tendon transfer, which involves surgically rearranging the attachments of muscles to bone. Examples include pectoralis major transfer and the Eden-Lange procedure. Various other surgical reconstructions have been described. Upper eyelid gold implants have been used for those unable to close their eyes. Drooping lower lip has been addressed with plastic surgery. Select cases of foot drop can be surgically corrected with tendon transfer, in which the tibialis posterior muscle is repurposed as a tibialis anterior muscle, a version of this being called the Bridle procedure. Severe scoliosis caused by FSHD can be corrected with spinal fusion; however, since scoliosis is a compensatory change in response to muscle weakness, correction of spinal alignment can result in further impaired muscle function. Scapular winging management

Prognosis
Genetics partially predicts prognosis. Those with large D4Z4 repeat deletions (with a remaining D4Z4 repeat array size of 10-20 kbp, or 1-4 repeats) are more likely to have severe and early disease, as well as non-muscular symptoms. Those who have the genetic mutations of both FSHD1 and FSHD2 are more likely to have severe disease. It has also been observed that disease manifestation is milder when a prominent family history is present, as opposed to a new mutation. In some large families, 30% of those with the mutation do not show symptoms, and 30% of those with symptoms do not progress beyond facial and shoulder weakness.