Vitamin D level among patients with non specific musculoskeletal pain attending tertiary care hospital in Tamil Nadu

Author(s): A Manoharan, P Selvaraj and P Vasanthamani

Abstract: Introduction: In adult sequelae of vitamin D deficiency involve the musculoskeletal system leading to proximal muscle weakness, bone pain, and osteomalacia which is largely unrecognized by both physicians and patients. Objective: determining the prevalence of vitamin D (<20ng/dl) deficiency among patients attending the orthopedic outpatient department in tertiary care hospital with complaints of non-specific symptoms of body pain and low back pain without any other co morbid condition. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 281 adult patients above the age 20 years attending orthopedic department of a tertiary care hospital with non-specific complaints of general body pain/back pain/tiredness/weakness on working and walking with no other symptoms such as injury, fever, GIT problems or known medical illness and no relief of the pain symptoms with routine treatments with analgesics and rest and physiotherapy were screened for Vitamin D levels when other routine test such as complete blood count, ESR, BI, sugar, RFT were normal. Results: out of 281 patients tested, 201 (71.5%) of the study population had below normal vitamin D of them 40.2% had deficiency, 31.3% had insufficiency and 28.5 had sufficient vitamin D level. The proportion of patients Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was higher in the age group 20-39 compared to other age group and it was found statically significant (p=0.01). Conclusion: Importance has to be given to adequate vitamin D supplementation in the patents vitamin D deficiency

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/ortho.2016.v2.i4b.16