{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T13:07:08Z","timestamp":1789391228065,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789344000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Clin. Med.","JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Reduced hand function significantly contributes to disability in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). We aimed to evaluate the effects on hand function and quality of life of a multicomponent hand rehabilitation program in patients with longstanding SSc. Methods: This prospective, controlled, interventional pilot study enrolled adults with SSc, disease duration &gt;5 years and \u22651 upper limb joint contracture. The intervention consisted of 10 sessions over 5 weeks, including paraffin wax therapy and individualized hand rehabilitation. The allocation to the intervention or control group was based on the patients\u2019 availability to participate in the program. Hand mobility\/function and health-related quality of life were assessed through validated outcome measures at baseline and after 5 weeks. Results: Sixteen patients were included (intervention N = 10; control N = 6), with a median disease duration of 19.5 (15.3\u201324.3) years. Within the intervention group, significant improvements were observed in right-hand Hand Mobility in Scleroderma (HAMIS) score (p = 0.033) and in the Short Form (SF)-36 domains of \u201cEnergy\/fatigue\u201d (p = 0.008), \u201cEmotional well-being\u201d (p = 0.009), \u201cPain\u201d (p = 0.020), and \u201cGeneral health\u201d (p = 0.050). Compared with controls, significant benefit was observed in the SF-36 \u201cEnergy\/fatigue\u201d (p = 0.002; d = 1.97) and \u201cGeneral health\u201d (p = 0.011; d = 1.50) domains. Between-group differences in hand function measures did not reach statistical significance, although moderate-to-large effect sizes favored rehabilitation across several outcomes. Conclusions: In this pilot study, a multicomponent hand rehabilitation program was associated with improvements in quality of life in patients with longstanding SSc, despite limited effects on hand mobility. These preliminary findings suggest a potential benefit of hand rehabilitation even in advanced disease.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15187118","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T12:09:51Z","timestamp":1789387791000},"page":"7118","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effectiveness and Impact on Quality of Life of a Hand Rehabilitation Program in Longstanding Systemic Sclerosis: A Prospective, Non-Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3162-783X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beatrice","family":"Moccaldi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Denisa","family":"Pascu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Loriana","family":"Esposito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rehabilitation Center \u201cFisio Medica Soncin\u201d, 35122 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Binda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Cuberli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-7725-0626","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Benini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Carta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Riccardo","family":"Verza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) E. Medea\u2014Ass. La Nostra Famiglia, 31015 Conegliano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Iaccarino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9683-8873","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberta","family":"Ramonda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology\u2014DISCOG, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Elisabetta","family":"Zanatta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine\u2014DIMED, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1685","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)30933-9","article-title":"Systemic sclerosis","volume":"390","author":"Denton","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1897","DOI":"10.1136\/annrheumdis-2017-211448","article-title":"Mapping and predicting mortality from systemic sclerosis","volume":"76","author":"Elhai","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ann. 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