Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38851879›Full record

Trial reportRheumatology (Oxford, England)2025

One-year effectiveness of long-term exercise therapy in people with axial spondyloarthritis and severe functional limitations.

Maria A T van Wissen, Cornelia H M van den Ende, Maaike G J Gademan, Max M H Teuwen, Wilfred F Peter, Elien A M Mahler, Dirkjan van Schaardenburg, Floris A van Gaalen, Anneke Spoorenberg, Wilbert B van den Hout and 3 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Maria A T van WissenDepartment of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2998-4256
Cornelia H M van den EndeDepartment of Rheumatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-4352-2824
Maaike G J GademanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Max M H TeuwenDepartment of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Wilfred F PeterDepartment of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1456-2429
Elien A M MahlerDepartment of Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Dirkjan van SchaardenburgCenter for Rehabilitation and Rheumatology, Reade, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Floris A van GaalenDepartment of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-8448-7407
Anneke SpoorenbergDepartment of Rheumatology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Wilbert B van den HoutDepartment of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Astrid M van TubergenDepartment of Rheumatology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-8477-0683
Theodora P M Vliet VlielandDepartment of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Salima F E van WeelyDepartment of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Funding

Dutch Arthritis SocietyMinisterie van VolksgezondheidMinistry of Health, Welfare and SportNetherlands Organization for Health Research and DevelopmentRoyal Dutch Society for Physical TherapyZonMw 852004019
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of long-term, personalized, supervised exercise therapy on functional ability compared with usual care in people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and severe functional limitations.

methodsParticipants were randomly 1:1 assigned to the intervention [maximal 64 sessions, with 14 additional optional sessions of supervised active exercise therapy (e.g. aerobic and muscle strengthening) with individualized goal-setting, education and self-management regarding physical activity] or usual care (care determined by clinician(s) and participants themselves). Primary endpoint was the change in the Patient-Specific Complaints activity ranked 1 [PSC1 (0-10)] at 52 weeks. Secondary endpoints were the PSC activities ranked 2 and 3, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, 6-min walk test, Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System-Physical Function-10 and the Short Form-36 Physical and Mental Component Summary Score (SF-36 PCS and MCS). Statistical comparisons comprised independent student t-tests and linear mixed models, based on intention-to-treat.

results214 participants [49% female, age 52 (s.d. 12) years], were randomized to the intervention (n = 110) or usual care (n = 104) group. In the intervention group 93% started treatment, using on average 40.5 sessions (s.d. 15.1). At 52 weeks, the difference in change in PSC1 between groups favoured the intervention group [mean difference (95% CI); -1.8 (-2.4 to -1.2)]. Additionally, all secondary outcomes, except the SF-36 MSC, showed significantly greater improvements in the intervention group with effect sizes ranging from 0.4 to 0.7.

conclusionLong-term, supervised exercise therapy proved more effective than usual care in improving functional disability and physical quality of life in people with axSpA and severe functional limitations.

trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register NL8238, included in the International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP) (https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NL8238).

Indexed as

Axial SpondyloarthritisExercise TherapyAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresQuality of LifeSeverity of Illness IndexTreatment Outcomeexercisephysical functionphysical therapyrandomized trialspondyloarthritis

Identifiers

PMID38851879
PMCPMC11962909

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.