Ingvild Kjeken, Ingvild Bø, Aud Rønningen, Cristina Spada, Petter Mowinckel, Kåre Birger Hagen, Hanne Dagfinrud
National Resource Center for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmets Hospital, P.O. Box 23, Vinderen, NO-0319 Oslo, Norway. E-mail: ingvild.kjeken@diakonsyk.no
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-1078

Objective: To evaluate the mean overall effects over a 1-year period of a multidisciplinary in-patient rehabilitation programme for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
Design: Observer-blinded, randomized controlled trial, with assessments made after 4 and 12 months.
Patients: Forty-six patients received a 3-week in-patient rehabilitation programme and 49 patients received treatment as usual.
Methods: Primary outcomes were disease activity measured with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Scale (BASDAI), and function measured with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI). Secondary outcomes included well-being, spinal and hip mobility, and health-related quality of life measured with the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36. Overall treatment effects were estimated with Mixed models repeated measures analyses.
Results: Significant overall treatment effects in favour of the rehabilitation group were found in the BASDAI score (mean difference over the 1-year period –10. 0, 95% confidence interval: –3. 7 to –16. 3), in well-being (–7. 3, 95% confidence interval: –1. 0 to –14. 7), and in the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 variables social functioning, role physical, role mental and bodily pain (mean differences ranging from 5. 8 (pain) to 10. 7 (role physical)).
Conclusion: A 3-week in-patient rehabilitation programme had positive overall effects on disease activity, pain, function and well-being, and should be considered an important complement to medical disease management in persons with ankylosing spondylitis.