Unexpected impact of COVID-19 lockdown on spinal mobility and health perception in spondyloarthritis.

Physical therapy (PT) forms the cornerstone of non-pharmacological treatment in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).1 The effect of temporary cessation of PT on SpA outcomes is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of a lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity patterns, spinal mobility and health perception in SpA. Patients of the BeGIANT cohort, a Belgian multicentre prospective observational registry of newly diagnosed patients with SpA, completed an online questionnaire during the first lockdown in Belgium (March/April 2020), followed by a standardised clinical examination immediately thereafter. The online questionnaire (online supplemental file 1), developed jointly with patient advocacy groups, assessed changes in PT, exercise and sport regimens. We also probed the impact of a lockdown on health perception, including completion of the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) Questionnaire, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index. Patients from this lockdown cohort were clinically assessed by measuring Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) and chest expansion immediately after the lockdown (May 2020). Data were compared with the last available measurements as part of the standardised follow-up.### Supplementary data [annrheumdis-2021-220584supp001.pdf] The online questionnaire was completed by 185 patients during the third week of the lockdown, of whom 65 patients (35 men, (mean±SD) age 40.8±11.6 years, symptom duration of 10.5±8.0 years) visited our outpatient clinic immediately post-lockdown. All 65 patients had stable disease and therapy prior to the lockdown. Among 33 (51%) patients following PT, 30 discontinued due to inaccessibility as a …