Objective evaluation of hand physiotherapy in juvenile systemic sclerosis using the MediTutor robotic glove

Description

Natalie Kleistnerova, Michal Tomcik, and Maja Spiritovic describe in a 2026 letter how a sensor glove measured hand therapy results in a child with juvenile systemic sclerosis. The rare disease stiffens skin and limits finger movement. Their patient was twelve years old. The child followed a six-month physiotherapy program with sessions twice a week.

The program mixed heat treatment, soft-tissue work, joint mobilization, and active exercises with therapy putty. The HandTutor glove recorded finger and wrist motion directly. It showed wider movement in most fingers, with the largest passive gains in the right thumb and left middle finger. Grip strength also rose, and skin scores improved. The child reported less stiffness and no more wrist pain under load. The authors argue such devices give clinics hard numbers alongside standard tests.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/PMC13527906