Comparison of acute phase reactants and spinal mobility values before and after 12 weeks of treatment
| Measurement: assessment point | Placebo | Etanercept | p Value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Differences in average percentage change, baseline to week 12, by the Cochrane-Mantel-Haenszel test; †negative percentage change from baseline indicates improvement; ‡includes only patients who had a value greater than zero at baseline. | |||
| C reactive protein (mg/l) | n = 39 | n = 45 | |
| Baseline (median) | 97 | 154 | |
| Week 12 (% change) | 117 (0.0) | 40 (69.5) | 0.000 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/1st h) | n = 39 | n = 45 | |
| Baseline (median) | 26.0 | 27.0 | |
| Week 12 (% change) | 29.0 (0.0) | 6.0 (79.6) | 0.000 |
| Schober’s test of spinal flexion (cm) | n = 39 | n = 44 | |
| Baseline (mean) | 2.8 | 2.2 | |
| Week 12 (% change)† | 2.7 (1.3) | 2.7 (−36.0) | 0.009 |
| Chest expansion (cm) | n = 39 | n = 44 | |
| Baseline (mean) | 3.9 | 3.3 | |
| Week 12 (% change)† | 4.1 (−9.0) | 3.8 (−29.9) | 0.870 |
| Occiput to wall distance (cm) | n = 22‡ | n = 32‡ | |
| Baseline (mean) | 4.6 | 7.3 | |
| Week 12 (% change) | 4.0 (7.2) | 6.2 (12.5) | 0.065 |