Birte Coppers (Erlangen), Simon Heinrich (Erlangen), Sara Bayat (Erlangen), Koray Tascilar (Erlangen), Dr. Arnd Kleyer (Erlangen; Berlin), Ioanna Minopoulou (Erlangen), Dr. David Simon (Erlangen; Berlin), Giulia Corte (Erlangen), Filippo Fagni (Erlangen), Dr. Verena Schönau (Erlangen), Daniela Bohr (Erlangen), Prof. Georg Schett (Erlangen), Prof. Sigrid Leyendecker (Erlangen), PD Dr. Anna-Maria Liphardt (Erlangen)
Abstract-Text (inkl. Referenzen und Bildunterschriften)
Hand function is a key factor of disease burden in inflammatory arthritis. Integrating functional assessments for disease monitoring is therefore essential, yet sex-specific differences in functional tasks remain poorly investigated.
To identify sex-specific hand function characteristics that allow to distinguish between healthy controls (CON) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) patients.
RA (ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria) and PsA (CASPAR criteria) patients (Internal Medicine 3 outpatient clinics Erlangen, Germany) and CON participated in this study (Ethics #357_20B, DRKS00032490). All participants performed an isometric grip strength test (Dynamometer, Saehan®, Korea), a dynamic grip and finger strength test (Martin Vigorimeter, Germany) and the Moberg Picking-Up Test (MPUT). The highest attempt (out of three for isometric grip, two per dynamic grip and finger strength) and the fastest of two MPUT trials were used for analysis. Linear mixed-effect models, adjusted for age and participants ID as random intercept term were used to compare the groups.
Seventy-three RA patients (24 male, 53.9±14.1 years; Disease Activity Score 28: 2.6±0.9), 76 PsA patients (37 male, 52.0±4.3 years; Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis Score: 10.2±7.1), and 77 CON (37 male, 46.0±18.5 years) were included in the study. Female patients presented on average lower grip strength with both devices, lower middle finger strength (PsA) and slower MPUT times compared to female CON (Abb.1, all p<0.05). In male patients, grip and finger strength was not significantly lower compared to male CON (Abb.1, all p>0.05). Male patients had significantly slower MPUT times compared to male CON (Abb.1, all p<0.05).
Our results suggest that grip rather than finger strength and MPUT can discriminate between patients and CON in females. MPUT was most sensitive to discriminate between patients and CON in male participants.
Abb.2:Unadjusted means of hand function tests by group and sex.