There was no important clinical meaningful benefit .
Adverse effectsWe found very low- quality evidence of the effect of exercise versus either no intervention , or usual care .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably slightly improve function , may reduce pain , and probably slightly reduce global patient assessment of disease activity , when compared with no intervention , and measured upon completion of the programme .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably have little or no effect on improving function or reducing pain , when compared with usual care , and may have little or no effect on reducing patient assessment of disease activity , when measured upon completion of the programmes .
We are uncertain whether exercise programmes improve spinal mobility , reduce fatigue , or induce adverse effects
BACKGROUND Exercise programmes are often recommended for managing ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) , to reduce pain and improve or maintain functional capacity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of exercise programmes for people with AS .
The impact of tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors on radiographic progression in ankylosing spondylitis.
OBJECTIVE To study the effect of tumor necrosis factor α ( TNFα ) inhibitors on  progressive spinal damage in patients with ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) . METHODS All AS patients meeting the modified New York criteria who had been monitored prospect ively and had at least 2 sets of spinal radiographs a minimum of 1.5 years apart were included in the study ( n=334 ) . The patients received st and ard therapy , which included nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and TNFα inhibitors . Radiographic severity was assessed by the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score ( mSASSS ) . Patients with a rate of AS progression that was ≥1 mSASSS unit/year were considered progressors . Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were done . Propensity score matching and sensitivity analysis were performed . A zero-inflated negative binomial ( ZINB ) model was used to analyze the effect of TNFα inhibitors on the change in the mSASSS with varying followup periods . Potential confounders , such as disease activity ( as assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index ) , the erythrocyte sedimentation rate , C-reactive protein level , HLA-B27 positivity , sex , age at onset , smoking burden ( number of pack-years ) , and baseline damage , were included in the model . RESULTS TNFα inhibitor treatment was associated with a 50 % reduction in the odds of progression , with an odds ratio ( OR ) of 0.52 ( 95 % confidence interval [ 95 % CI ] 0.30 - 0.88 , P=0.02 ) . Patients with a delay of > 10 years in starting therapy were more likely to experience progression as compared to those who started earlier ( OR 2.4 [ 95 % CI 1.09 - 5.3 ] , P=0.03 ) . In the ZINB model , the use of TNFα inhibitors  significantly reduced disease progression when the gap between radiographs was > 3.9 years . The protective effect of TNFα inhibitors was stronger after propensity score matching . CONCLUSION Treatment with TNFα inhibitors appears to reduce radiographic progression in AS patients , especially with early initiation and with longer duration of followup
There was no important clinical meaningful benefit .
Adverse effectsWe found very low- quality evidence of the effect of exercise versus either no intervention , or usual care .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably slightly improve function , may reduce pain , and probably slightly reduce global patient assessment of disease activity , when compared with no intervention , and measured upon completion of the programme .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably have little or no effect on improving function or reducing pain , when compared with usual care , and may have little or no effect on reducing patient assessment of disease activity , when measured upon completion of the programmes .
We are uncertain whether exercise programmes improve spinal mobility , reduce fatigue , or induce adverse effects
BACKGROUND Exercise programmes are often recommended for managing ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) , to reduce pain and improve or maintain functional capacity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of exercise programmes for people with AS .