Evaluating the Efficacy and Short-Term Prognosis of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Ankylosing Spondylitis(AS): A Protocol for a Cohort Study

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI)

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) is a 10-item instrument used to measure functional limitation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Each item is scored on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale, where 0 indicates easy and 10 indicates impossible. The total score is calculated as the mean of the 10 item scores and ranges from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate worse functional status.

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI)

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) is a 10-item instrument used to measure functional limitation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Each item is scored on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale, where 0 indicates easy and 10 indicates impossible. The total score is calculated as the mean of the 10 item scores and ranges from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate worse functional status.

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI)

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) is a 6-item instrument used to measure disease activity in participants with ankylosing spondylitis. It evaluates fatigue, spinal pain, peripheral joint pain and swelling, localized tenderness, and morning stiffness (severity and duration) over the past week. Each item is scored on a 0 to 10 scale, with higher scores indicating greater disease activity. The total BASDAI score is calculated as 0.2 × (Item 1 + Item 2 + Item 3 + Item 4 + (Item 5 + Item 6)/2) and ranges from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate worse disease activity. A BASDAI score of 4 or higher is commonly considered to indicate high disease activity.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP)

The Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) is a composite index used to measure disease activity in participants with ankylosing spondylitis. It combines patient-reported items and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels into a single score. The minimum score is 0, with lower scores indicating lower disease activity and higher scores indicating worse disease activity. There is no fixed maximum value because the upper end of the scale depends on the CRP level. ASDAS-CRP disease activity states are defined as inactive disease (\<1.3), moderate disease activity (1.3 to \<2.1), high disease activity (2.1 to ≤3.5), and very high disease activity (\>3.5). Clinically important improvement is defined as a decrease of at least 1.1 units, and major improvement is defined as a decrease of at least 2.0 units.

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI)

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) is an instrument used to measure axial skeletal mobility in participants with ankylosing spondylitis. The total score ranges from 0 to 10. Lower scores indicate better spinal and hip mobility, while higher scores indicate greater limitation of movement and worse axial mobility.