One of the most relevant aspects of systemic sclerosis (SS) is the involvement of the hands, where the skin of the fingers becomes stiff, restricting movement. Additionally, calcifications in the phalanges, telangiectasias, and digital ulcers may appear. These abnormalities create limitations that can affect quality of life and the ability to perform daily activities.

The aim of this study was to assess hand functional capacity in women with SSc (wwSSc) using the TGlittre-Shelf (TGlittre-S) and to correlate it with digital dexterity, muscle strength, lung function, and physical function.

Mean age and body mass index were 51.9 ± 13.7 years and 24.4 ± 4.9 years, respectively. TGlittre-S time was higher in wwSc than in healthy controls [60 (55-74) vs. 44 (41-49) sec, p < 0.0001]. In addition, 9-HPT was higher in wwSc than in healthy controls [24 (22-26) vs. 20 (18-22) sec, p < 0.0001]. Similarly, CHFS was higher in wwSc than in healthy controls [6 (0.5-25) vs. 0 (0-0) points, p < 0.0001]. In wwSc, TGlittre-S time was significantly correlated with the following variables: HGS (rs = -0.511, p = 0.0006), HAQ-DI (rs = 0.510, p = 0.0006), 9-HPT (rs = 0.398, p = 0.009), and CHFS (rs = 0.351, p = 0.024). No significant correlation was found between TGlittre-S time and lung function. No significant differences in TGlittre-S time were found between limited cutaneous and diffuse cutaneous forms.

In wwSSc, there is a deterioration in impaired hand functional capacity as measured by TGlittre-S. In these patients, the longer the TGlittre-S time, the worse the HGS, digital dexterity, and physical function.

We observed that the TGlittre-S was able to capture the functional disability of the hands in wwSSc. As TGlittre-S is easy to perform and does not require much space, its incorporation into clinical practice is promising and may be considered as an outcome measure for future studies in SSc.