Vitamin D deficiency associated with poorer functional outcomes, longer stays after TKA
Key takeaways:
- Vitamin D-deficient patients had worse functional results after knee arthroplasty vs. vitamin D-sufficient patients.
- Vitamin D supplementation may improve results for patients with this deficiency.
Published results showed vitamin D deficiency was associated with poorer clinical and functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty; however, vitamin D supplementation may improve outcomes in patients who have this deficiency.
Researchers performed a systematic review of 10 studies that included 146,054 patients who underwent 150,107 primary TKAs to analyze the effect of vitamin D deficiency on outcomes such as WOMAC scores, Knee Society Scoring (KSS) system, American Knee Society scores, revisions, infections and postoperative stiffness. Researchers also performed a meta-analysis of three of the studies to assess the impact on length of stay (LOS).
Researchers found four of the 10 studies reported worse WOMAC, KSS and American Knee Society scores for patients who were vitamin D deficient compared with patients who were vitamin D sufficient. The four studies also reported patients who were vitamin D deficient had an increased risks for revision, joint infection and postoperative stiffness.
Meta-analysis of the three studies that analyzed LOS showed patients who were vitamin D deficient had a significant increase in LOS vs. patients who were vitamin D sufficient.
Researchers wrote that vitamin D supplementation improved functional outcomes and decreased risks for revision and joint infection.
“Although there was heterogeneity of studies, the vast majority reported an increase in adverse outcomes with vitamin D deficiency and improvements in outcomes after supplementation,” the researchers wrote in the study.
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