Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)AS-POSTURENCT07879157
Posture Exercises in Ankylosing Spondylitis
A study testing Standard Breathing Exercise Program and Posture-Focused Exercise Program in people with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), run by Mustafa Akça at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study will evaluate the effects of posture-focused exercises on spinal alignment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group will receive a standard breathing exercise program. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
- What is being tested?
- Standard Breathing Exercise Program and Posture-Focused Exercise Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 54 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Nov 2026to 1 Jan 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age between 18 and 65 years
- Diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis according to the Modified New York criteria
- No participation in a structured exercise or physical therapy program within the last 6 months
- No change in medical treatment within the last 3 months
- BASFI score between 2 and 6
- BASMI score between 2 and 6
- BASDAI score between 2 and 4
- Providing written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Acute flare or high disease activity
- History of spinal surgery
- Advanced hip osteoarthritis or history of hip arthroplasty
- Neurological disorder that may affect gait, spinal alignment, or postural assessment
- Severe cardiopulmonary disease that may prevent participation in the exercise program
- Severe orthopedic, neurological, or systemic comorbidity that may prevent participation in the exercise program
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- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Inability to regularly attend assessment visits or the exercise program during the study period
- Planning to participate in another structured physical therapy or exercise program during the study period
- Being considered unsuitable for participation by the investigator for reasons related to participant safety or reliability of study outcomes
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Izmir, İzmir, 35100
Mustafa Akça, MD, Türkiye
Mustafa Akça, MD, +90 530 363 51 38, mustafa.akca@ege.edu.tr
About this study
Official title: Effects of Posture-Focused Exercises on Spinal Alignment in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Rasterstereographic Evaluation-Based Randomized Controlled Trial
This study will evaluate the effects of posture-focused exercises on spinal alignment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group will receive a standard breathing exercise program. The intervention group will receive posture-focused exercises in addition to the standard breathing exercise program.
The exercise program will last 8 weeks. Assessments will be performed at baseline and at the end of week 8. Spinal alignment will be evaluated using rasterstereographic analysis with the DIERS formetric 4D system. Clinical and functional outcomes will include disease activity, spinal mobility, functional status, quality of life, walking capacity, perceived exertion, and gait parameters.
Read the detailed description
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. Over time, it may lead to reduced spinal mobility, increased thoracic kyphosis, decreased lumbar lordosis, forward trunk inclination, impaired posture, balance problems, gait disturbances, reduced functional capacity, and decreased quality of life.
Exercise is an important component of rehabilitation in ankylosing spondylitis. However, the effects of posture-focused exercise programs on objective spinal alignment parameters have not been sufficiently investigated with standardized non-invasive methods.
This study is designed as a prospective, two-arm, randomized controlled, single-blind clinical trial. A total of 54 patients with ankylosing spondylitis will be included. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two groups. The control group will receive a standard breathing exercise program. The intervention group will receive posture-focused exercises in addition to the standard breathing exercise program.
The intervention period will last 8 weeks. Exercise sessions will be performed once weekly under supervision, and the remaining sessions will be continued as a home exercise program. Posture-focused exercises will include cervicothoracic postural realignment, thoracic mobilization, spinal extensor activation, scapular stabilization, lumbopelvic-core stabilization, and stretching exercises.
Participants will be evaluated at baseline and at the end of week 8. The primary outcome measures will be rasterstereographic spinal alignment parameters, including thoracic kyphosis angle, lumbar lordosis angle, trunk forward inclination angle, sagittal vertical alignment, and pelvic tilt. Secondary outcome measures will include BASDAI, BASMI, BASFI, ASQoL, the 6-Minute Walk Test, Borg Scale, and gait analysis parameters.
The aim of this study is to determine whether adding posture-focused exercises to a standard breathing exercise program provides additional benefit on spinal alignment and related clinical and functional outcomes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
- Conditions
- Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
- Being tested
- Standard Breathing Exercise Program, Posture-Focused Exercise Program
- Keywords
- Posture Exercise, Spinal Alignment, Rasterstereography, Breathing Exercise, Rehabilitation, Gait Analysis, Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Medical subject headings
- Spondylitis, Ankylosing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Standard Breathing Exercise ProgramBehavioural
The standard breathing exercise program includes diaphragmatic breathing, controlled inspiration, and thoracic expansion exercises. The program will be performed for 8 weeks, once weekly under supervision and on the remaining days as a home exercise program.
Posture-Focused Exercise ProgramBehavioural
The posture-focused exercise program includes cervicothoracic postural realignment, thoracic mobilization, spinal extensor activation, scapular stabilization, lumbopelvic-core stabilization, and stretching exercises. The program will be performed in addition to the standard breathing exercise program for 8 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Breathing Exercise Group | Active comparator | Participants in this group will receive a standard breathing exercise program for 8 weeks. The program will include diaphragmatic breathing, controlled inspiration, and thoracic expansion exercises. Exercises will be performed once weekly under supervision and continued as a home exercise program on the remaining days. Receives: Behavioral: Standard Breathing Exercise Program |
| Posture-Focused Exercise Group | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive posture-focused exercises in addition to the standard breathing exercise program for 8 weeks. The posture-focused exercise program will include cervicothoracic postural realignment, thoracic mobilization, spinal extensor activation, scapular stabilization, lumbopelvic-core stabilization, and stretching exercises. Receives: Behavioral: Standard Breathing Exercise Program; Behavioral: Posture-Focused Exercise Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Thoracic Kyphosis Angle
Thoracic kyphosis angle will be measured in degrees using the DIERS formetric 4D rasterstereography system. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Lumbar Lordosis Angle
Lumbar lordosis angle will be measured in degrees using the DIERS formetric 4D rasterstereography system. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Trunk Forward Inclination Angle
Trunk forward inclination angle will be measured in degrees using the DIERS formetric 4D rasterstereography system. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Sagittal Vertical Alignment
Sagittal vertical alignment will be assessed using the DIERS formetric 4D rasterstereography system. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Pelvic Tilt
Pelvic tilt will be measured in degrees using the DIERS formetric 4D rasterstereography system. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Secondary outcomes (11)
Change in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index Score
Disease activity will be assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index. The total score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating higher disease activity. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index Score
Spinal mobility will be assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index. The total score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating worse spinal mobility. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index Score
Functional status will be assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index. The total score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating worse functional status. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Score
Quality of life will be assessed using the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 18, with higher scores indicating worse quality of life. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in 6-Minute Walk Test Distance
Functional exercise capacity will be assessed using the 6-Minute Walk Test. The total walking distance will be recorded in meters. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Borg Scale Score
Perceived exertion will be assessed using the Borg Scale. The score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating higher perceived exertion. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Walking Speed
Walking speed will be assessed during gait analysis and recorded in meters per second. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Cadence
Cadence will be assessed during gait analysis and recorded as steps per minute. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Step Length
Step length will be assessed during gait analysis and recorded in centimeters. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Stride Length
Stride length will be assessed during gait analysis and recorded in centimeters. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Change in Double Support Time
Double support time will be assessed during gait analysis and recorded as a percentage of the gait cycle. The change from baseline to week 8 will be analyzed.
Measured: Baseline and week 8
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Oct 2026
- Study start1 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Nov 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jan 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two parallel groups: a standard breathing exercise group and a posture-focused exercise plus breathing exercise group.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mustafa Akça
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Mustafa Akça, Ege University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07879157
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AS-2026
- Other IDs
- 26-AKD-304
- Acronym
- AS-POSTURE
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 7 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared due to privacy and confidentiality considerations. Study data will be analyzed and reported in aggregate form without identifying individual participants.