The relationship between hand injuries due to occupational accidents and Vitamin D deficiency.

Abstract

Background: Bone fractures due to occupational accidents cause labor and cost losses in the world. Vitamin D deficiency is common in the world including industrialized countries. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fracture and vitamin D levels in patients with wrist fractures due to occupational accidents.

Methods: This study was conducted in a study group consisting of patients who were admitted to the emergency department of a university hospital due to occupational accidents and were thought to have a fracture of the hand or wrist. Blood samples were analyzed biochemically and vitamin D levels were obtained.

Results: Vitamin D3 level was 16.3 ng/mL in patients with fractures and 21 ng/mL in patients without fractures, which was statistically significant (p<0.05). Vitamin D deficiency was found in %60.2 of patients with fractures, while vitamin D deficiency was found in %50.2 of patients with fractures and there was no statistical difference (p>0.112). Vitamin D deficiency was found in %39.8 of patients with hand injury without fracture, whereas vitamin D deficiency was not detected in %33 of patients with hand injury and the comparison was statistically significant (p<0.05).

Conclusion: There is insufficient data in the literature on the relationship between bone fractures and vitamin D levels and the vitamin D levels required to prevent bone fractures. In this study, a statistically significant difference was found between the vitamin D levels of patients with fractures and those of patients without fractures. This study is beneficial for the literature in this respect, but extensive studies on the relationship between vitamin D and fractures are needed.