title: Is vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency related to the development of osteochondritis dissecans?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aetiology of osteochondritis dissecans is still unclear. The aim of this prospective pilot study was to analyse whether vitamin D insufficiency, or deficiency, might be a contributing etiological factor in the development of an OCD lesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum level of vitamin D3 in 23 consecutive patients (12 male and 11 female) suffering from a stage III, or stages III and IV, OCD lesion (mostly stage III) admitted for surgery was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients' mean age was 31.3 years and most of them already exhibited closed epiphyseal plates. In the majority of patients (18/23), a distinct vitamin D3 deficiency was found, two patients were vitamin D3-insufficient and, in three patients, the vitamin D3 level reached the lowest normal value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These first data show that a vitamin D3 deficiency rather than an insufficiency may be involved in the development of OCD lesions. Probably, with a vitamin D3 substitution, the development of an advanced OCD stage could be avoided. Further analyses, including morphological analyses regarding a possible osteomalacia, and examination of the PTH and other determinants of the bone metabolism, should be undertaken to either confirm or refute these data.
  
  
  METHODS
  IV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum, Hohe Weide 17, 20259, Hamburg, Germany. Juergen.bruns@d-k-h.de.
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, HELIOS Klinikum Emil von Behring, Walterhöferstr. 11, 14165, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.affiliation: "Activion"Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum, Alte Holstenstrasse 2, 21031, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soyka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010008:Osteochondritis Dissecans / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aetiology; Deficiency; Insufficiency; Osteochondritis dissecans; Vitamin D