Abstract: Vitamin-D deficiency has become a global problem in adults. It causes rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults. Osteomalacia causes general weakness, back and neck pains, other body pains, and sciatica-like symptoms. Causes of vitamin-D deficiency presently are due to:
• Lack of exposure to sunlight
• Due to changes in lifestyles We conducted a study on patients coming to Ortho OPD with vague symptoms like bodypains, sciatica e. t. c to find out vitamin-D deficiency by doing blood tests for 25-OH vitamin-D, which is supposed to correlate well with the clinical symptoms of osteomalacia.
Aim of the study: To know the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency/insufficiency in these patients (patients coming to Ortho OPD) and to observe the response to vitamin-D supplementation.
Methodology: It is an interventional study in which 49 Patients attending orthopedic OPD with vague complaints were included during Dec-2017 to Dec 2018. Their 25-hydroxy vitamin-D levels were assessed, and they were supplemented with different doses of vitamin-D for varied periods based on deficiency /insufficiency of vitamin-D levels. All the patients were followed up for six months during vitamin-D supplementation. The clinical response to treatment was evaluated.
Results: Mean age of the participants is 39. 02+12. 8yrs. 76%of study subjects were females. About 47% of the patients have deficient vitamin-D levels. The association between vitamin-D levels and the presenting complaints is statistically significant (P value<0. 05). At the end of 6 months, vitamin-D levels of all cases were within the normal range.
Conclusion: Patients presenting with vague musculoskeletal symptoms should be investigated for vitamin-D deficiency, and they should be supplemented with the vitamin-D.
