Vitamin D Levels During Fracture Healing in Children.

Abstract

To evaluate vitamin D levels in children treated with fractures during the healing period. A four-year prospective study, including healthy children treated with diaphyseal fracture of femur or forearm bones. Vitamin D levels were examined four times: at the time of the injury and then one, three, and five months after the injury, together with P1NP, ALP, GGT, and parathormone. In the beginning, patients were blindly divided into two groups, one supplemented with vitamin D3 for the entire follow-up period, the other non-supplemented. Altogether, 107 children underwent examination at the time of their injuries. Of these, 63 were included in the study and examined for the entire follow-up period - 36 supplemented, 27 non-supplemented. At the time of injury, 42 % had a deficit of vitamin D, 36.5 % had insufficiency, only 21.5 % had normal levels. In the children supplemented with cholecalciferol, vitamin D levels increased statistically significantly during the follow-up period (already after 1 month), in contrast with non-supplemented patients, where they did not. When we divided patients according to the initial vitamin D levels (deficit/insufficiency/normal levels) or fracture type (femur/forearm), we also observed significantly better results in supplemented groups. We observed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficit or insufficiency in healthy children at the time of their injuries. Patients supplemented with vitamin D3 had normal levels already after one month and this persisted throughout the follow-up period, in contrast with non-supplemented patients. Therefore, we recommend vitamin D testing and administration for children treated for fractures. Keywords: Vitamin D, Pediatric fracture, Children, Vitamin D supplementation.