Low Vitamin D levels found among high percentage of orthopedic patientsand general population

ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS —GHN NEWS --  According to orthopedists'
research nearly half of all patients scheduled for surgery have
insufficient levels of vitamin D, with about 40% of those at risk for
metabolic bone disease.

Without

enough Vitamin D bones can become thin, brittle or misshapen, so people
are encouraged to improve their Vitamin D intake.

Sources
of Vitamin D, according to the National Institutes of Health, include
fish, dairy products, eggs and mushrooms, receiving sun exposure and
taking supplements.

“Given
the importance of vitamin D in musculoskeletal health and its role in
bone healing following orthopaedic procedures, low levels may negatively
impact patient outcomes,” said Joseph M. Lane, MD  orthopaedic surgeon
, who co-authored the study on Vitamin D levels at the Hospital for
Special Surgery in New York.  The study looked at 723 patients scheduled
for surgery.

“We
found that nearly half of the patients who were considered ‘healthy’
enough for surgery had significantly low levels of vitamin D, placing
them at risk for poor bone healing, osteomalacia (bone and muscle
weakness) or even secondary hyperparathyroidism (increased secretion of
the parathyroid hormone) in the most severe cases,” said Dr. Lane, who
is also a professor of orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical
College in New York.

Previous research has noted Vitamin D to be insufficient in the general population.

“This
study should serve as a wake-up call to orthopedists that vitamin D
deficiency is widespread, not necessarily tied to age, sex or background
and screening for it should be part of routine pre-surgical care for
adults,” said Dr. Lane. “Meanwhile, patients who are planning to undergo
any orthopaedic procedure can request a screening (specifically, a
blood test called the 25 hydroxy Vitamin D test) or ask to be placed on a

medically supervised Vitamin D supplement regimen prior to surgery.”