Observational studyRMD open2024
Clinical trajectories of hand function impairment in systemic sclerosis: an unmet clinical need across disease subsets.
Observational study in RMD open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06776575 (Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and Electrophysiological Evaluation of the Hand in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis), which is not on this map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and Electrophysiological Evaluation of the Hand in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: Relation to Hand Dysfunction and Quality of Life
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions on upper limb function in patients with systemic sclerosis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of occupational therapy on hand function in patients with systemic sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.Rheumatology international · 2025Trial
- Characterisation of Systemic Sclerosis in a Jordanian Cohort: Clinical Features, Diagnostic Patterns, and Health-Related Quality of Life.Mediterranean journal of rheumatology · 2026Article
- An Engineered Glove for the Objective Assessment of Hand Dexterity in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis.ACR open rheumatology · 2026Article
- Impact of hand function impairment on daily life of patients with systemic sclerosis: a qualitative study.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Feasibility study of a smartphone app to monitor systemic sclerosis-related digital ulcers-a potential new tool for remote clinical monitoring.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2026Article
- Hand function in immune-mediated inflammatory rheumatic diseases: assessment and rehabilitation approaches.Rheumatology international · 2025Review
- Harnessing artificial intelligence to advance insights in systemic sclerosis skin and lung disease.Current opinion in rheumatology · 2025Review
- Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors at 10 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHand involvement is an early manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc), culprit of diagnosis and classification, and recognised major driver of disability. Impairment of hand function burdens both limited and diffuse cutaneous subsets and therefore could be targeted as 'basket' endpoint in SSc. Nevertheless, its natural history in current standard of care is not well characterised, limiting the design of targeted trials. The aim of this study is to describe prevalence, natural history and clinical factors associated with hand function deterioration in a longitudinal, multicentre, observational SSc cohort.
methodsHand function was captured through the validated Cochin Hand Function Scale in patients consecutively enrolled in a multicentre observational study and observed over 24 months. Minimal clinically important differences and patient acceptable symptom state were analysed as previously described.
resultsThree hundred and ninety-six consecutive patients were enrolled from 10 centres; 201 with complete follow-up data were included in the analysis. Median (IQR) disease duration was 5 (2-11) years. One hundred and five (52.2%) patients reported clinically significant worsening. Accordingly, the proportion of patients reporting unacceptable hand function increased over 2 years from 27.8% to 35.8% (p<0.001). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis identified male gender, disease subset, Raynaud's Condition Score, tenosynovitis and pain, as some of the key factors associated with worsening hand involvement.
conclusionsHand function deteriorates over time in more than 50% of SSc patients despite available therapies. The analysis of factors associated with hand function worsening supports the involvement of both inflammation, vascular and fibrotic processes in hand involvement, making it a hallmark clinical manifestation of SSc. Our data are poised to inform the design of intervention studies to target this major driver of disability in SSc.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.