Development and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the SMART-HAND Protocol for Hand Rehabilitation in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
13 agosto 2026 aggiornato da: Busra Turk, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently affects the hand and wrist, resulting in pain, reduced joint stability, impaired proprioception, muscle weakness, and limitations in daily activities.
Although conventional rehabilitation primarily focuses on range of motion and strengthening exercises, sensorimotor impairments such as proprioceptive deficits are often underaddressed.
The SMART-HAND (Sensory, Massage, Approximation, ROM, Training = Strengthening + Perturbation) protocol was developed as a structured, mechanism-based rehabilitation program to improve proprioception, joint stability, motor control, and hand function.
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the SMART-HAND protocol in individuals with RA by comparing its effects on hand function, proprioception, pain, dexterity, muscle strength, and functional performance with conventional rehabilitation and a control group.
Panoramica dello studio
Stato
Non ancora reclutamento
Tipo di studio
Interventistico
Iscrizione (Stimato)
132
Fase
- Non applicabile
Contatti e Sedi
Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.
Contatto studio
- Nome: Busra Turk, PT, MSc
- Numero di telefono: +905448744200
- Email: bsrgvn9@gmail.com
Criteri di partecipazione
I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.
Criteri di ammissibilità
Età idonea allo studio
- Adulto
- Adulto più anziano
Accetta volontari sani
No
Descrizione
Inclusion Criteria:
- Participants will be 18 years of age or older.
- Participants will have a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis for at least five years.
- Participants will be referred by a rheumatologist.
- Participants will have been on a stable medication regimen for the past three months.
- Participants will have no history of diabetes mellitus.
- Participants will have no other conditions affecting sensory function.
- Participants will provide informed consent to participate in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Individuals who have undergone hand surgery within the past six months.
- Individuals with a history of upper extremity fracture within the past six months.
- Individuals with other musculoskeletal pain conditions involving the muscles and/or joints.
- Individuals diagnosed with a neurological disease that may affect sensory or motor function.
- Individuals who are unable to fully cooperate with the assessment procedures.
- Individuals who have received corticosteroid treatment within the past month.
- Individuals diagnosed with another rheumatic disease.
- Pregnant women.
- Individuals who are illiterate.
Withdrawal/Discontinuation Criteria
- Participants who miss more than 10% of the intervention sessions will be excluded from the study.
- Participants who change their medication dosage or medication class during the study period will be excluded from the study.
- Participants will have the right to withdraw from the study at any time and for any reason.
Piano di studio
Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.
Come è strutturato lo studio?
Dettagli di progettazione
- Scopo principale: Trattamento
- Assegnazione: Randomizzato
- Modello interventistico: Assegnazione parallela
- Mascheramento: Separare
Armi e interventi
Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm |
Intervento / Trattamento |
|---|---|
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Sperimentale: SMART-HAND Protocol
Participants assigned to the SMART-HAND Protocol Group will receive a supervised 12-week hand rehabilitation program consisting of two 50-minute sessions per week (24 sessions in total).
The SMART-HAND protocol includes massage, sensory training, joint approximation, range of motion exercises, stretching, strengthening exercises, and perturbation-based stabilization training.
Exercise progression will be individualized according to participants' tolerance using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale and progressive resistance.
The intervention is designed to improve proprioception, sensorimotor integration, dynamic joint stability, muscle strength, and hand function.
|
The SMART-HAND Protocol is a supervised, mechanism-based hand rehabilitation program administered twice weekly for 12 weeks (24 sessions, 50 minutes per session).
The protocol consists of sensory training, massage, joint approximation, range of motion exercises, stretching, strengthening exercises, and perturbation-based stabilization training.
Exercise progression is individualized according to participants' tolerance using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale and progressive resistance.
The intervention is designed to improve proprioception, sensorimotor control, joint stability, muscle strength, and hand function.
|
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Comparatore attivo: Conventional Hand Rehabilitation Group
Participants assigned to the Conventional Hand Rehabilitation Group will receive a supervised 12-week conventional hand exercise program consisting of two 50-minute sessions per week (24 sessions in total).
The program includes range of motion, stretching, and strengthening exercises.
Exercise intensity and progression will be individualized according to participants' tolerance using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale and progressive resistance.
The intervention primarily aims to improve joint mobility, muscle strength, and hand function.
|
Participants will receive a supervised conventional hand rehabilitation program twice weekly for 12 weeks (24 sessions, 50 minutes per session).
The program includes range of motion, stretching, and strengthening exercises.
Exercise intensity and progression will be individualized according to participants' tolerance using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale and progressive resistance.
|
|
Comparatore attivo: Usual Care + Education Group
Participants assigned to the Usual Care + Education Group will continue to receive their routine medical care and will attend a single educational session lasting approximately 20-30 minutes.
The education will include joint protection principles, ergonomic recommendations, and strategies for performing activities of daily living.
No supervised exercise program will be provided during the 12-week study period.
|
The SMART-HAND Protocol is a supervised, mechanism-based hand rehabilitation program administered twice weekly for 12 weeks (24 sessions, 50 minutes per session).
The protocol consists of sensory training, massage, joint approximation, range of motion exercises, stretching, strengthening exercises, and perturbation-based stabilization training.
Exercise progression is individualized according to participants' tolerance using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale and progressive resistance.
The intervention is designed to improve proprioception, sensorimotor control, joint stability, muscle strength, and hand function.
Participants will receive a single face-to-face education session lasting approximately 20-30 minutes.
The education will include information on joint protection techniques, ergonomic principles, energy conservation, and recommendations for performing activities of daily living.
Participants will continue their routine medical care throughout the study but will not receive a supervised exercise program.
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Cosa sta misurando lo studio?
Misure di risultato primarie
Misura del risultato |
Misura Descrizione |
Lasso di tempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12 (Primary endpoint: change from baseline to Week 12)
|
The Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) will be used to assess hand function, activities of daily living, pain, work performance, aesthetics, and patient satisfaction.
The primary endpoint is the change in the total MHQ score from baseline to Week 12.
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Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12 (Primary endpoint: change from baseline to Week 12)
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Misure di risultato secondarie
Misura del risultato |
Misura Descrizione |
Lasso di tempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Joint Position Sense (Proprioception)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Wrist, metacarpophalangeal (MCP), and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint proprioception will be assessed using a joint position reproduction test with a goniometer.
The mean absolute repositioning error from three trials will be recorded.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
|
Nine-Hole Peg Test
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Hand dexterity will be assessed using the Nine-Hole Peg Test.
The average completion time of two trials for each hand will be recorded in seconds.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
|
Duruöz Hand Index
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Hand functional disability will be evaluated using the Duruöz Hand Index.
Higher scores indicate greater disability.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
|
Pain Intensity
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Pain intensity during rest, activity, and night will be assessed using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
Higher scores indicate greater pain.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
|
Sensory Threshold
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Cutaneous sensory threshold will be evaluated using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments.
The thinnest monofilament perceived by the participant will be recorded.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
|
Grip Strength
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Maximum hand grip strength will be measured using a Jamar dynamometer.
The average of three maximal contractions will be recorded in kilograms.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
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Pinch Strength
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Lateral pinch and three-jaw chuck pinch strength will be measured using a Baseline pinch gauge.
The average of three trials will be recorded in kilograms-force.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
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Range of Motion
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
Active range of motion of the wrist and finger joints will be measured using standard goniometers and recorded in degrees.
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Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
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Collaboratori e investigatori
Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.
Sponsor
Pubblicazioni e link utili
La persona responsabile dell'inserimento delle informazioni sullo studio fornisce volontariamente queste pubblicazioni. Questi possono riguardare qualsiasi cosa relativa allo studio.
Pubblicazioni generali
- Hamilton GF, McDonald C, Chenier TC. Measurement of grip strength: validity and reliability of the sphygmomanometer and jamar grip dynamometer. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1992;16(5):215-9. doi: 10.2519/jospt.1992.16.5.215.
- Duruoz MT, Poiraudeau S, Fermanian J, Menkes CJ, Amor B, Dougados M, Revel M. Development and validation of a rheumatoid hand functional disability scale that assesses functional handicap. J Rheumatol. 1996 Jul;23(7):1167-72.
- Oxford Grice K, Vogel KA, Le V, Mitchell A, Muniz S, Vollmer MA. Adult norms for a commercially available Nine Hole Peg Test for finger dexterity. Am J Occup Ther. 2003 Sep-Oct;57(5):570-3. doi: 10.5014/ajot.57.5.570.
- Chua M, Seth I, Rozen WM. The reliability and applicability of the Ten Test in hand injuries: A systematic review. Hand Ther. 2024 Jun;29(2):44-51. doi: 10.1177/17589983241230249. Epub 2024 Jan 28.
- Jerosch-Herold C. Assessment of sensibility after nerve injury and repair: a systematic review of evidence for validity, reliability and responsiveness of tests. J Hand Surg Br. 2005 Jun;30(3):252-64. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsb.2004.12.006.
- Hillier S, Immink M, Thewlis D. Assessing Proprioception: A Systematic Review of Possibilities. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2015 Nov-Dec;29(10):933-49. doi: 10.1177/1545968315573055. Epub 2015 Feb 23.
- Lewis E, Fors L, Tharion WJ. Interrater and intrarater reliability of finger goniometric measurements. Am J Occup Ther. 2010 Jul-Aug;64(4):555-61. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2010.09028.
- Carter TI, Pansy B, Wolff AL, Hillstrom HJ, Backus SI, Lenhoff M, Wolfe SW. Accuracy and reliability of three different techniques for manual goniometry for wrist motion: a cadaveric study. J Hand Surg Am. 2009 Oct;34(8):1422-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2009.06.002. Epub 2009 Aug 22.
- Jensen MP, Chen C, Brugger AM. Interpretation of visual analog scale ratings and change scores: a reanalysis of two clinical trials of postoperative pain. J Pain. 2003 Sep;4(7):407-14. doi: 10.1016/s1526-5900(03)00716-8.
- Oksuz C, Akel BS, Oskay D, Leblebicioglu G, Hayran KM. Cross-cultural adaptation, validation, and reliability process of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire in a Turkish population. J Hand Surg Am. 2011 Mar;36(3):486-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2010.11.016. Epub 2011 Feb 4.
- Riemann BL, Lephart SM. The sensorimotor system, part I: the physiologic basis of functional joint stability. J Athl Train. 2002 Jan;37(1):71-9.
- Roijezon U, Clark NC, Treleaven J. Proprioception in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Part 1: Basic science and principles of assessment and clinical interventions. Man Ther. 2015 Jun;20(3):368-77. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2015.01.008. Epub 2015 Jan 29.
- Young A, Dixey J, Cox N, Davies P, Devlin J, Emery P, Gallivan S, Gough A, James D, Prouse P, Williams P, Winfield J. How does functional disability in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affect patients and their lives? Results of 5 years of follow-up in 732 patients from the Early RA Study (ERAS). Rheumatology (Oxford). 2000 Jun;39(6):603-11. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/39.6.603.
- Shauver MJ, Chung KC. The minimal clinically important difference of the Michigan hand outcomes questionnaire. J Hand Surg Am. 2009 Mar;34(3):509-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2008.11.001.
Studiare le date dei record
Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.
Studia le date principali
Inizio studio (Stimato)
1 ottobre 2026
Completamento primario (Stimato)
28 dicembre 2027
Completamento dello studio (Stimato)
30 dicembre 2027
Date di iscrizione allo studio
Primo inviato
5 agosto 2026
Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità
7 agosto 2026
Primo Inserito (Effettivo)
10 agosto 2026
Aggiornamenti dei record di studio
Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)
14 agosto 2026
Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC
13 agosto 2026
Ultimo verificato
1 agosto 2026
Maggiori informazioni
Termini relativi a questo studio
Parole chiave
Termini MeSH pertinenti aggiuntivi
Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio
- IstanbulUC-FTR-BT-02
Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)
Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?
NO
Descrizione del piano IPD
Individual participant data will not be made publicly available.
Data will be retained by the investigators in accordance with institutional policies and ethical approval, and no current plan exists for external data sharing.
Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio
Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti
No
Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti
No
Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .