title: Do 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels Correlate With Fracture Complications?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and the likelihood of postoperative complications and fracture reoperation rate in orthopaedic trauma patients receiving vitamin D and calcium supplementation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level I trauma center, Midwestern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  All orthopaedic trauma patients-18 years or older-over a 20-month period were included with available initial and repeat 25(OH)D serum levels. In total, 201 patients met inclusion criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients received 1000 IU of vitamin D3 and 1500 mg of calcium daily. Vitamin D deficient and insufficient patients also received 50,000 IU of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) weekly until 25(OH)D levels normalized or fractures healed.
  
  
  METHODS
  fracture complications and 25(OH)D levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients experienced postoperative healing complications. There was no significant difference between initial (P = 0.92) or repeat (P = 0.91) 25(OH)D levels between patients with and without fracture healing complications. Twenty-eight patients required repeat orthopaedic surgery. There was no significant difference between initial (P = 0.62) or repeat (P = 0.18) 25(OH)D levels between patients who did or did not require repeat orthopaedic surgery. There was no significant difference between initial (P = 0.66) or repeat (P = 0.89) 25(OH)D levels between patients who did or did not require nonorthopaedic surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum 25(OH)D levels did not significantly affect the likelihood of fracture healing complications requiring surgery or any nonorthopaedic injury-related surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC; †Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, School of Medicine, Columbia, MO; and ‡Department of Orthopedics, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, Largo, MD.
authors.forename: Blake M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bodendorfer
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Della Rocca
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Volgas
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Stannard
authors.forename: Brett D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Crist
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002118:Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D002118:Calcium