A Survey of Vitamin D Status in Patients with Degenerative Diseases of the Spine

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with degenerative diseases of the spine about to undergo spinal surgery and the relations between such deficiency and potential risk factors. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Vitamin D has a major role in musculoskeletal system health maintenance. Recently, studies on degenerative diseases of the spine have shown a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients undergoing spine surgery. METHODS: -test, chi-square and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: =0.029). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is seen in patients with degenerative diseases of the spine. On the other hand, the conventional risk factors such as old age or female sex alone did not seem to be sufficient in determining the likelihood of deficiency. Thus, it is recommended that vitamin D deficiency prevention strategies comprise a broader spectrum of the population through which such degenerative diseases and their consequences may be prevented or delayed.