Working ability of 76 patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

The working ability of 76 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) diagnosed between 1952 and 1959 was investigated. After 25 years of AS, 48% of the patients were still able to work at their original occupation and only 30% were unable to work at all. 17% of the patients had had to change their occupation and 5% had retired because of age. This finding does not differ from those reported in earlier studies.