Effect of vitamin D in fracture healing in a child: case report.
In this report, we describe the effect of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on fracture healing in a young boy with a hypovitaminosis D who had a radius refracture. The radiographic evaluation of the callus formation shows a clear effect of vitamin D on fracture healing in absence of additional variables.


BACKGROUND
Fracture healing restores the tissue to its original physical and mechanical properties and it involves a complex multistep process that involves response to injury, intramembranous bone formation, chondrogenesis, endochondral bone formation, and bone remodeling. All this process is influenced by a variety of systemic and local factors. It is generally assumed that vitamin D plays an intimate role in healing fractures; however, very little data exists on how it does.


METHODS
In this report, the authors describe the effect of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on fracture healing in a young boy with a hypovitaminosis D who had a radius refracture.


CONCLUSIONS
Our case report suggests that the hypovitaminosis D is a possible cause of inadequate fracture healing and refracture in children and it shows a clear effect of vitamin D supplementation on callus formation in the absence of additional variables.
1st Orthopedic Division, Department of Traslational Research and New Technology in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, via Paradisa 2, 56125, Pisa, Italy, parchip@tiscali.it.
Paolo
P
Parchi
Lorenzo
L
Andreani
Nicola
N
Piolanti
Francesco
F
Niccolai
Valentina
V
Cervi
Michele
M
Lisanti
D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D002118:Calcium