Development and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the SMART-HAND Protocol for Hand Rehabilitation in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
13 augusti 2026 uppdaterad av: 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.
Studieöversikt
Status
Har inte rekryterat ännu
Studietyp
Interventionell
Inskrivning (Beräknad)
132
Fas
- Inte tillämpbar
Kontakter och platser
Det här avsnittet innehåller kontaktuppgifter för dem som genomför studien och information om var denna studie genomförs.
Studiekontakt
- Namn: Busra Turk, PT, MSc
- Telefonnummer: +905448744200
- E-post: bsrgvn9@gmail.com
Deltagandekriterier
Forskare letar efter personer som passar en viss beskrivning, så kallade behörighetskriterier. Några exempel på dessa kriterier är en persons allmänna hälsotillstånd eller tidigare behandlingar.
Urvalskriterier
Åldrar som är berättigade till studier
- Vuxen
- Äldre vuxen
Tar emot friska volontärer
Nej
Beskrivning
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.
Studieplan
Det här avsnittet ger detaljer om studieplanen, inklusive hur studien är utformad och vad studien mäter.
Hur är studien utformad?
Designdetaljer
- Primärt syfte: Behandling
- Tilldelning: Randomiserad
- Interventionsmodell: Parallellt uppdrag
- Maskning: Enda
Vapen och interventioner
Deltagargrupp / Arm |
Intervention / Behandling |
|---|---|
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Experimentell: 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.
|
|
Aktiv komparator: 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.
|
|
Aktiv komparator: 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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Vad mäter studien?
Primära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
|
Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ)
Tidsram: 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.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12 (Primary endpoint: change from baseline to Week 12)
|
Sekundära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
|
Joint Position Sense (Proprioception)
Tidsram: 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
Tidsram: 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
Tidsram: 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
Tidsram: 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
Tidsram: 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
Tidsram: 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
Tidsram: 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
|
|
Range of Motion
Tidsram: 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.
|
Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12
|
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Publikationer och användbara länkar
Den som ansvarar för att lägga in information om studien tillhandahåller frivilligt dessa publikationer. Dessa kan handla om allt som har med studien att göra.
Allmänna publikationer
- 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.
Studieavstämningsdatum
Dessa datum spårar framstegen för inlämningar av studieposter och sammanfattande resultat till ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter och rapporterade resultat granskas av National Library of Medicine (NLM) för att säkerställa att de uppfyller specifika kvalitetskontrollstandarder innan de publiceras på den offentliga webbplatsen.
Studera stora datum
Studiestart (Beräknad)
1 oktober 2026
Primärt slutförande (Beräknad)
28 december 2027
Avslutad studie (Beräknad)
30 december 2027
Studieregistreringsdatum
Först inskickad
5 augusti 2026
Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
7 augusti 2026
Första postat (Faktisk)
10 augusti 2026
Uppdateringar av studier
Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)
14 augusti 2026
Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
13 augusti 2026
Senast verifierad
1 augusti 2026
Mer information
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Nyckelord
Ytterligare relevanta MeSH-villkor
Andra studie-ID-nummer
- IstanbulUC-FTR-BT-02
Plan för individuella deltagardata (IPD)
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NEJ
IPD-planbeskrivning
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.
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