OBJECTIVES: Psoriatic arthritis (PA) is an inflammatory disease affecting joints and connective tissues. The anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) biologics are increasingly being used in patients who have failed traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Etanercept has shown efficacy in treatment of PA. The objective of this study was to conduct meta-analysis and present total evidence for etanercept  in treatment of PA. METHODS: For this meta-analysis we included randomized controlled trials (RCTs)evaluating etanercept for the treatment of PS. RCTs studying adult populations with active and progressive PA with an inadequate response to previous DMARD therapy were eligible. Trials conducted among PA populations with prior experience with anti-TNF agents, including an inadequate response, were excluded. A systematic literature search for Etanercept trials was undertaken for the databases Pubmed, Embase, Biosis, Google Scholar, and Cochrane. Data was collected for the study size, interventions, year, and the three outcomes HAQ, PASI and PsARC. For meta-analysis, random effects and fixed effects models were used to obtain cumulative statistics. RESULTS: Two RCTs with a total of 131 patients were identified. The pooled response rates for Etanercept  for PsARC were 75% (95% CI 60%-90%), for HAQ were 59% (95% CI 46%-72%), and for PASI were 24% (95% CI 13%-34%). The pooled response rates for placebo for PsARC were 30% (95% CI 26%-35%), for HAQ were 5% (95% CI 1%-9%), and for PASI were 3% (95% CI 0%-7%). For PsARC the cumulative relative risk with Etanercept versus placebo was 0.40 (95% CI 33%-48%). For HAQ, the cumulative relative risk with placebo versus Etanercept was 0.08 (95% CI 5%-12%). For PASI, the cumulative relative risk with placebo versus Etanercept was 0.14 (95% CI 8%-20%). CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analysis shows Etanercept offers patients with psoriatic arthritis an effective therapeutic option for control of their disease.